LG asks ACB to investigate DJB tanker scam

Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra had earlier written a letter to the LG asking him to initiate a CBI probe and file an FIR against Dikshit in connection with the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) water tanker scam.

Mishra, in his letter, stated that he had set up a committee to look into the water tanker distribution management system. 

“A bare perusal of the (committee’s) report indicates that the functionaries and members of the then DJB — including its then chairperson/hon’ble Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit — had indulged in grave irregularities. The report also suggests that the acts of omissions and commissions by the then DJB has resulted in the loss of approximately Rs 400 crore to the exchequer.” The move came after Leader of Opposition, Vijender Gupta, while moving a calling attention motion demanded the Chief Minister to make public the report of the committee submitted to the CM’s office by Kapil Mishra in August 2015.

The report indicated that Dikshit, as the then chairperson of Delhi Jal Board, and other DJB members had indulged in “grave irregularities”. Gupta had raised the issue in the Assembly on June 10 as well and had created uproar by scaling atop a desk of the Delhi Assembly alleging the treasury Bench was “gagging” the Opposition’s voice.

Taking a dig at Gupta, Kejriwal said that the Opposition leader can take credit for “forcing” the Delhi government to release the report but dared him to get the FIR registered against Dikshit within next two months.

“If he (Gupta) fails to do so, he should then shave off half of his moustache and sit on dharna against the PM,” Kejriwal said.

Reacting to the development, Gupta said Kejriwal has denigrated the offices of Prime Minister and the Chief Minister by dragging them in a state subject for which he himself is entirely responsible. “The government kept sitting on the file for 10 months and suppressed the report,” Gupta added. 

On June 19, 2015, a five-member committee was constituted to probe the hiring of 385 stainless steel tankers in 2012. The committee had been formed after the DJB received complaints about irregularities in the process of awarding tenders. Dikshit was the chairperson of the DJB when these tankers were procured. 

In August last year, Mishra had written to Kejriwal to file an FIR against Dikshit. “I request you to kindly hand over this matter, with the direction to lodge an FIR and take further appropriate action in accordance with law,” Mishra had told the Chief Minister. 

Earlier on Monday, Arvind Kejriwal demanded registration of a case against Dikshit and jailing her for what he said was the water tanker scam unearthed in Delhi.

“Now, that we have submitted a report on the scam to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and LG Najeeb Jung, the former should ensure that Sheila Dikshit is sent to jail within two months,” Kejriwal had said while addressing the Delhi Assembly. It is important to note that the government was yet to even cancel agreements with companies supplying water tankers despite being aware of the scam.