IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM PRESENT : THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE S.SIRI JAGAN WEDNESDAY, THE 19TH MAY 2010 / 29TH VAISAKHA 1932 WP(C).No. 14596 of 2010(Y) -------------------------------------- PETITIONER: ------------------- MADHU KADAVAN,S/O.IMMANUEL KADAVAN,AGED 36 YEARS,,COMPANY EMPLOYEE AT BAHRAIN,KADAVAN HOUSE,CHENNAM PALLIPURAM MURI,PALLIPURAM VILLAGE, CHERTHALA TALUK,ALAPPUZHA DISTRICT, REP. BY HIS YOUNGER BROTHER AND POWER HOLDER MANU KADAVAN,S/O.IMMANUEL KADAVAN, AGED 34 YEARS,BUSINESS,RESIDING AT KADAVAN HOUSE,CHENNAM PALLIPURAM MURI,PALLIPURAM VILLAGE, ALAPPUZHA DISTRICT. BY ADVS. SRI.JACOB PULIKKAN, SRI.S.K.BALACHANDRAN, SMT.P.V.JYOTHI (PALAKKAPPILLIL). RESPONDENTS: ------------------------ 1. KRERALA WATER AUTHORITY,TRIVANDRUM- REPRESENTED BY ITS MANAGING DIRECTOR,KERALA WATER AUTHORITY, HEAD QUARTERS, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM. 2. ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE ENGINEER, WATER WORKS SUB DIVISION, KERALA WATER AUTHORITY, KALOOR, COCHIN-682 017. 3. THE METER INSPECTOR FOR PALARIVATTOM, WATER WORKS SUB DIVISION, KERALA WATER AUTHORITY, KALOOR, COCHIN-682 017. R1 TO R3 BY SRI. M. DINESH, S.C. THIS WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON 19/05/2010,THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING: prv. S. SIRI JAGAN, J. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - W.P.(C)No. 14596 of 2010 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Dated this the 19th day of May, 2010 J U D G M E N T Petitioner complains that in the place of normal water bills ranging from Rs.37/- to Rs.67/- bimonthly, the petitioner has now been successively issued with bills for exorbitant amounts of Rs.3,830/-, Rs.21,324/- & Rs.31,318/-. According to the petitioner for a small house which houses only less than 5 people such exorbitant water bills is totally unjustified which is clearly because of either fault in the meter or some other mistakes committed by the water authority. Petitioner therefore wants quashing of the impugned bills. 2. Learned standing counsel for the Kerala Water Authority points out that the petitioner has already invoked the appellate jurisdiction of the Assistant Executive Engineer by filing Ext.P9 appeal and the Executive Engineer who is competent to deal with the same can be directed to W.P.(C)No. 14596 of 2010 -2- dispose of the same expeditiously. After having heard both sides, I dispose of this writ petition with a direction to the concerned Engineer of the Water Authority to consider and pass orders on Ext.P9 expeditiously. Till orders are so passed, further coercive proceedings against the petitioner like recovery or disconnection of water supply shall be kept in abeyance on condition that the petitioner pays an amount of Rs.2,500/- within two weeks. In the meanwhile, the concerned Engineer shall also examine the water connection of the petitioner to ascertain the cause of exorbitant increase in water bills and take appropriate steps to remedy the same. S. SIRI JAGAN JUDGE shg/