Vice-Chairman of Delhi Jal Board (DJB) Raghav Chadha on Tuesday said around seven Central Government agencies, including the Railways and the Delhi Police, and municipal corporations have not paid dues pending for long and the DJB has issued notices asking them to clear dues amounting to Rs 6,811 crore within 30 days.

Chadha said due to Covid, the economic condition of the State Government is not good. Therefore, the Delhi Government is in the view to finish all such pending transactions in a bid to improve the economic condition, he said.

The exact amount of dues owed by different faltering authorities such as Central Government-run (Indian Railways, CPWD, Delhi Police and Delhi Development Authority) and MCD’s (North, South and East) with the total amount as on August 24 is Rs 6,811 crore. The DJB Chairman said the amount due to railways is Rs 3,283 crore, the Delhi Police have to pay Rs 614 crore, while the CPWD has Rs 190 crore due to clear.

The DDA owes Rs 128 crore, East Delhi Municipal Corpo-ration Rs 49 crore, North Delhi Municipal Corporation Rs 2,466 crore and South Delhi Munic-ipal Corporation Rs 81 crore.

“Delhi is reeling with the aftermath of an extraordinary situation of the pandemic. It is highly commendable as to how efficiently the Government departments have worked together to fight through this deadly disaster, post the national lockdown and revival of normalcy. It can also not been overlooked that the paucity of funds across Governments can pose a stumbling block with regard to delivery at its full potential which can very well be surmounted if the Board receives its shares of outstanding dues pending from several government agencies,” Chadha said.

The vice-president added the pandemic and all of the other factors cumulatively have now put the DJB in a precarious situation. “If the dues are not cleared within the stipulated time, the board shall be constrained and left with no other option but to initiate coercive actions until the full and final payment is recovered,” he added.