TRS Government set its eyes on GHMC polls and goes all out to woo 17 lakh slum dwellers with waiving power and water bills roughly estimated at Rs 1,500 crore

Hyderabad: A month ahead of the the Grater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections, the ruling TRS government in Telangana has decided to waive pending electricity bills to the tune of Rs 130 croe to the residents of several slums in the city. Not just the that, it has also decided to waive another Rs 12,00 crore of water bills of the people.

The waive would cover provide relief to about 1000 and odd notified slum dwellers in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secundrabad. But, the catch is that the government would issue an order only after the end of the poll code that is in force now. This is to avoid any legal hitches in rolling out the scheme, the sources said.

Decision to this effect has been taken by the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao, during a review meeting with the officials of energy department and Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewearge Board (HMWS&SB). The Chief Minister has reportedly asked the officials to work out on the modalities to implement the scheme. There are 1,468 slums within the GHMC area with 17 lakh population living in these localities. While 1,131 slums are notified ones, and the remaining are not notified as slums buy the civic body.