Karnataka Government clears one-time settlement, 100% waiver on water bill interest

Water bill defaulters get major relief as government approves three-month scheme offering complete waiver of interest and penalties on principal payment

In a significant relief for water bill defaulters, the state government has approved a One-Time Settlement (OTS) scheme offering a complete waiver of interest and penalties on pending water bills. The decision has been formally cleared through an authorised government order, with the official launch date expected to be announced soon.

Under the scheme, consumers who pay only the principal amount of their pending water bills will receive a 100 per cent waiver on accumulated interest and penalty charges. Once the principal is cleared, the account will be treated as fully closed.

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The scheme will be available only for a limited period of three months, January, February and March. Officials have described this as a “golden opportunity” for long-pending defaulters to regularise their accounts without additional financial burden.

The government has clearly stated that no intermediaries or agents will be involved. Consumers must directly register on the official website to avail themselves of the benefit, ensuring transparency and avoiding misuse.

The model for this initiative has been adopted from Hyderabad, where similar schemes were implemented twice and received an encouraging response. Bengaluru has now chosen the same framework based on its proven success.

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Technically, the waiver will be handled at the backend level. As soon as a consumer pays the principal amount, the system will automatically remove interest and penalty components from the account.

For government buildings and commercial establishments, the water board will deploy special teams to personally visit premises and provide information about the scheme.

Officials have urged eligible consumers to make use of the limited-time offer and clear their long-pending dues.