42 industries owe Rs 3,797 cr water tax to Odisha government: CM Majhi

As many as 42 industrial houses including government organisations have owed water cess amounting Rs 3797.14 crore to the Odisha Odisha government till March, the assembly was informed on Thursday.

In a written reply to a query by BJP MLA Tankadhar Tripathy, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said the industrial houses draw water from Mahanadi, Bramhani, Baitarani, Indravati, Kolab, Rushikulya and Subarnarekha rivers.

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Majhi said water tax of Rs 1509.28 crore is pending against the firms drawing water from the Kolab river while those getting ot fromthe Mahanadi are yet to pay revenue worth Rs 962.78 crore.

Similarly, water tax of Rs 822.76 crore is pending against the firms drawing water from Brahmani river, Rs 489.08 crore revenue due against the industrial houses drawing water from Nagavali river, as per the statement of the CM.

Moreover, water tax worth Rs 1.31 crore, Rs 9.35 crore and Rs 2.56 crore are pending against several industrial units getting water from Baitarani, Indravati and Rushikulya rivers, respectively.

In his statement, Majhi informed the House that the highest Rs 244.10 crore water tax is pending against Bhusan Power & Steel Ltd, Sambalpur, while Rs 195.83 crore is pending against Ballarpur Industries Ltd.

Adhunik Metaliks Ltd, Sundargarh, has an arrear of Rs 186.65 crore while Bhusan Steel & Strips Ltd, Dhenkanal, is yet to pay water tax of Rs 185.05 crore, he stated.

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The other major defaulters are—ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India Ltd Paradeep (Rs 108.98 crore), Viraj Steel & Energy Limited, Sambalpur (Rs 98.34 crore), Aarti Steel Ltd, Cuttack (Rs 58.36 crore), and Paradeep Phosphate Ltd (Rs 45.51 crore), the statement said.

PTI