Hubballi: The proposal for a one-time settlement (OTS) to clear pending water bills within the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) limits remains pending, with the recent change in power cited as one of the reasons for the delay.HDMC has forwarded its proposal to the state govt seeking permission to roll out an OTS for water bill arrears, and officials said the civic body is still awaiting a decision. As per HDMC records, the total dues stand at Rs 334.3 crore, including Rs 198.5 crore as principal and Rs 135.8 crore as interest.Civic officials said the proposal aims to facilitate settlement of long-pending dues through a structured mechanism, subject to state government approval. The unpaid bills and accumulated interest are already reflected in official records, and the corporation has been seeking administrative clearance to proceed.The issue was recently raised by HDMC senior corporator Suvarna Kalakuntla during the visit of new urban development minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah. Sources said the minister responded that he would discuss the matter with officials, as he is new to the department.Sources within the civic body said that in the absence of a final decision, the proposal has effectively remained pending despite submission. They attributed the delay to the leadership transition and the time taken for processes to resume after the change in power.With arrears running into hundreds of crores, officials said the corporation is seeking an early decision to take further steps in line with government directions. The proposal submitted by HDMC continues to be under consideration.Prasad Abbayya, MLA from Hubballi East, said he had earlier discussed the issue with former urban development minister Byrathi Suresh and sought a one-time waiver mechanism. However, the minister had agreed only to waive the interest component, and the same proposal was placed before the department by officials.He added that with a new minister now in charge, he would take up the issue again and seek a favourable decision at the earliest.HDMC commissioner Rudresh Ghali said the govt is yet to take a call and that the corporation is awaiting approval for the OTS proposal submitted to the state.