Calcutta, Nov. 25: The state government is set to amend the West Bengal Municipal Act to empower civic bodies to disconnect water supply lines of property tax defaulters.

On numerous occasions in the past, the high court has asked the Calcutta Municipal Corporation to restore water connections of defaulting property tax payers.

The law change by the government is coming when the corporation has announced its intention of disconnecting water lines of those who have repeatedly failed to pay their property tax.

Mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya had mistakenly told The Telegraph recently: “Under the existing laws, the civic authorities have the right to disconnect water connection of property tax defaulters.”

He had added that the CMC intended to go on a massive di sconnection drive.

Advocate-general Balai Ray, however, clarified that the law does not allow civic bodies to disconnect water connections and that is why the amendment. “The existing law is not enough to empower the civic authorities to take such a step,” Ray said.

Ray told the high court today that the state government was planning to amend certain provisions of the municipal act to frame guidelines for civic bodies regarding collection of property tax by disconnecting water supply. Hearing a case relating to the disconnection of a water line, the court said the civic authorities do not have the power to do so now.

The realisation of property taxes by snapping water connections has created a controversy. Many cases, like the one heard by the high court today, are pending and many have been disposed of in the tax defaulters’ favour.

A CMC appeal is pending before a division bench of the court. The civic body had to move the appeal after a high court trial judge ruled that the civic authorities had no right to disconnect water connections for property tax default. The civic authorities challenged the trial judge’s ruling before the division bench.

“It is a fact that a number of people and commercial establishments are moving the high court to challenge the notices issued by the civic authorise threatening to stop water supply for non-payment of taxes. The court is repeatedly entertaining their petitions and observing that the concerned municipal body has no power to take such a decision,” CMC lawyer Alok Ghosh said.

“In very few cases,” Ghosh added, “the judges are asking the petitioners to pay certain portion of the dues to receive the water.”