Meenakshi Lekhi alleges scam of Rs 3,237 crore in Delhi Jal Board, AAP hits back

New Delhi: Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi on Saturday alleged a “scam” of Rs 3,237 crore in the Delhi Jal Board under the AAP government, citing various accounting-related irregularities since 2017.

The AAP, however, fired back at the charges, saying, true to its nature, the BJP has again come up with a new way to “interrupt” the progress of Delhiites.

‘It doesn’t go well with a Union minister making such fabricated insinuations against an ‘honest’ government devoted towards its people,’ the AAP said in a statement.

In a joint press conference with the BJP’s Delhi unit chief Virendra Sachdeva, Lekhi alleged that issuing of tenders was avoided for 12,000 work orders worth Rs 600 crore by keeping the value of each below Rs 5 lakh.

Sachdeva said Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal should refer the “scam” to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for a probe.

If he fails to do so, the BJP will urge the Lt Governor to do it, Sachdeva added.

Lekhi said the AAP and Kejriwal used to allege that a “water tanker mafia” existed during the Sheila Dikshit government but it exists even now.

‘The accounts have not been maintained since 2017 and they are trying to hide the details. While Rs 1,601 crore is missing from the books, there is a mismatch of Rs 1,167 crore between the DJB’s (Delhi Jal Board) financial statement and the conciliation statement of banks. There is also no trace of a Rs 135-crore term deposit,’ she alleged.

Lekhi further alleged that there was “a scam of Rs 3,237 crore under various heads” in the form of financial accounting irregularities, adjustments and re-adjustments, missing fixed deposits and others.

The AAP alleged that it is “shameful” that the BJP has ensured, with the GNCTD Amendment Act, that officers do not work for the people of Delhi during past six months.