BJP urges Delhi L-G to order CBI probe into DJB projects in last nine years

New Delhi, Apr 15 (PTI) The BJP's Delhi unit on Monday urged Lt Governor V K Saxena to order an investigation by the CBI into all projects undertaken by the Delhi Jal Board during nine years of the Arvind Kejriwal government.

Chief spokesperson of the AAP Priyanka Kakkar hit back at the BJP claiming that its "behaviour has become tediously predictable" as it "consistently engages in negative politics".

In a press conference, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva claimed the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has become a "hub of corruption" under the AAP government and said Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal should explain why in the past nine years, there has been only five million gallons per day increase in water generation in the waterworks body.

The Delhi chief minister and Water Minister Atishi should explain what they did with the Rs 29,172 crore allocated to the DJB in the past nine years for water treatment alone, he said in a statement.

"Delhi BJP demands that all tendered projects of the DJB between 2015 and 2024 be investigated by the CBI and the party will submit a letter to the Lieutenant Governor in this regard," he said.

Sachdeva claimed that due to the "criminal negligence" of the Delhi government, there was extensive theft and wastage of water in the city, leading to a severe water shortage for the consumers, especially the poor.

Referring to the water supply problems in the city, he said a 35-year-old woman was killed during a quarrel over water in the Farsh Bazaar area of Shahdara on April 12.

"It is regrettable that instead of expressing sympathy over the death of the woman or compensating the affected family, Delhi's Water Minister Atishi has indulged in false and baseless political rhetoric," he said.

The Delhi BJP chief claimed that Atishi's "attempt to blame officials" for not allocating the funds is "completely misleading".

The DJB, which was a profit-making establishment in 2013-14, is now suffering a loss of over Rs 72, 000 crore which "speaks volumes on economic mismanagement" by the Kejriwal government, he charged.

"Water availability has not increased in Delhi. So where did that money go since? Kejriwal and Atishi should explain where the Rs 29,172 crore went," he said, adding the Kejriwal government has been making excuses to hide its "shortcomings".

So far, no work has been done to increase the availability of drinking water in the city, Sachdeva alleged.