V J ANTONY Vs. STAE OF KERALA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THE petitioner, who is a lawyer by profession, has approached this Court, challenging the action of the Water Authority, in having issued Ext. P2 bill dated 29.01.2009, demanding a sum of Rs. 41,188/- to be satisfied, lest, it should attract penal interest at the rate of 24 % per month, to be recovered by way of revenue recovery proceedings.

(2.) THE case of the petitioner is that, the building in question was being put in use as advocate's office. But later, it was locked out and the petitioner shifted the office to a better premises as early as in the year 1994. Even though, the petitioner intimated the said fact to the Water Authority with a request for disconnection of the water supply, no disconnection was effected.On a fine morning on 26.12.1997, the petitioner was served with Ext. P1 notice demanding a sum of Rs. 3,909/- as the alleged dues for the period in question, to be satisfied within 7 days, lest, the water supply should be disconnected.

(3.) IN the above circumstances, this Court finds that the liability on the part of the petitioner has to be limited to the amount shown in Ext. P1, with interest at the rate of 14.5 % (the rate of interest as mentioned in Ext. P4), which shall be satisfied by the petitioner within two weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this judgment. It is made clear that, if any failure is resulted from the part of the petitioner in this regard, the respondents will be free to proceed with the steps for recovery of the due amount , resorting to appropriate proceeding in accordance with law. The Writ Petition is disposed of as above.