Water Minister Atishi has accused the Services Department of planning a conspiracy to bring works at the Delhi Jal Board to a standstill, and directed the chief secretary to ensure that DJB has full-time members in charge of water, drainage and finance within the next seven days.
In a letter to Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar, Atishi on Sunday expressed strong displeasure over the non-appointment of water and drainage members in the Delhi Jal Board resulting in several projects coming to a standstill, and gave seven working days’ time to ensure the DJB has full-time members.
In the letter Atishi said that DJB is critical civic utility for the people of the national capital as it is responsible for water and sewerage facilities.
“The most senior most official responsible for managing water supply is the Member (Water) and the senior most official responsible for managing the sewerage network is the Member (Drainage). However, it is a matter of grave concern that currently the DJB does not have a Member (Water) or Member (Drainage) since mid October,” she highlighted in her letter.
She also said that the incumbent members finished their tenure in mid-October and no interim or permanent members have been appointed.
“It is absolutely shocking that DJB has been left bereft of the senior most technical members. This has meant that several projects have come to a standstill because technical approvals can only be given by these technical members,” she said.
She also said that the files for recruiting the two new members have been shuttling between DJB, Department of Urban Development and Services Department for the last two months.
“Both the concerned Ministers — Water and Urban Development — have been kept in the dark, claiming that it is a ‘services’ matter and therefore outside the purview of the elected government,” Atishi said.
She further said that there has been no full-time member (Finance) for more than three months, since the incumbent member is on medical leave.
“The Member (Administration) is handing the additional charge of Member (Finance) for several months,” the Minister said.
“How is DJB supposed to provide water and sewerage facilities to the people of Delhi if it is kept bereft of senior administrators? At worst this seems like a conspiracy to bring DJB to a standstill and at best it is sheer callousness towards the people of Delhi,” Atishi said.
The Chief Secretary is directed to coordinate between all concerned stakeholders -- DJB, Department of Urban Development and Services Department -- and ensure that Delhi Jal Board has a full time member (Water), member (Drainage) and member (Finance) within seven working days.
