Delhi Police yet to clear DJB bills, Chadha seeks MHA's intervention

New Delhi: Delhi Jal Board Vice Chairman Raghav Chadha on Wednesday requested the home ministry to direct Delhi Police to clear the utility's bills amounting to Rs 607 crore.

Chadha met Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy and sought his intervention into the matter.

"The VC requested the minister's intervention in recovering the dues running into Rs 607 crore, so that the financial challenges facing the board can be overcome," the DJB said in a statement.

Chadha told the minister that the water utility had sent multiple show cause notices to Delhi Police, but did not get any response. "This has hindered the smooth expedition of the functions and duties of the board, which is doing the groundwork for expanding its operations, and bringing about revolutionary changes in the current structure of water supply as well as water management," the statement read.

"All of this requires regular flow of finances. Releasing the dues owed to the DJB would go a long way in meeting necessary and immediate expenses," it said. Chadha said that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic condition of the state government is in a bad shape and therefore, the Delhi government wants to complete all such pending transactions. In Sept, Chadha had said that around seven government agencies had not cleared the bills of the DJB.