Amid tussle with the Delhi Government officials, the national Capital may soon face severe water shortage, Water Minister Atishi warned on Tuesday, alleging that the finance department was not releasing funds to the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) despite several written orders. Seeking suspension and disciplinary action against Principal Secretary (Finance) Ashish C Chandra for stopping the funds, the Minister has appealed to Lieutenant Governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena to intervene immediately and release the funds to the DJB.
Opening up yet another front against Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar, she accused him of not releasing funds to the DJB.
Atishi in a letter to LG said the national capital might plunge into a ‘man-made’ severe water crisis Finance Secretary Ashish C Verma has stopped all funds of DJB since August upon the Chief Secretary’s advice.
“Because of this funds aren’t being released; no money for salaries and routine work is being sanctioned, and all contractors have refused to work. This might lead to severe water crisis, dirty water, and sewer overflow in many areas; threat of epidemic & emergency-like conditions in the national capital,” she said.
The allegation has set up the stage for a fresh bout of confrontation between the bureaucracy and the AAP government in Delhi.
No immediate reaction was available from the chief secretary or the finance secretary over allegations by Atishi. However, sources in the planning department said that `1,598 crore was released to the DJB in June.
More funds will be released “based on evidence of the progress of works and geotagging for ensuring that public funds are not being misappropriated”, a source said.
According to sources in the finance department, the Government does not give funds to the DJB for salaries or repairs and maintenance. “These are to be met from the DJB’s own revenues. Also, running water and sewage treatment plants is the DJB’s responsibility.
“So it is wrong to say that water supply or sewage treatment will stop,” a source claimed.Delhi government provides loans and grants only for new works and funds are to be released based on the progress on the ground, the sources added.
“It is a very alarming turn of events that the Finance department of the Delhi Government has refused to release the funds that have already been allotted to the DJB in the Budget 2023-24 passed by the Delhi Legislative Assembly.
“This is a routine governance procedure and never in the past has the Finance department raised so many objections to stall the release of routine instalments of the Grant-in-aid and Loan to DJB.
“Yet, this time, under the leadership of Ashish C. Verma, the Finance and Planning departments have been repeatedly posing new and different objections each time the previous objection is resolved.
“It is clear as day that Ashish C Verma has malafide intent and plans to prevent the release of the 2nd instalment of the Grant-in-aid and loan to the DJB,” reads the letter.
“Due to the unavailability of adequate funds in DJB and delay in receipt of the second instalment, the DJB is currently not in a position to release demands/ payments to contractors for the work that they have already done,” she said.
Atishi mentioned in the letter that this is not the first instance when complaints have come up against Ashish C Verma.
:I have myself previously complained about his insubordinate behaviour in the past, and his unwillingness to follow clear, written instructions of the Minister-in-charge..
“It is a matter of grave concern that he has adopted this alarming obstructionist attitude and is intent on stalling and halting important works of the public. This unnecessary delay in releasing routine Grant-in-aid, however, is the most shocking of his actions and has far-reaching consequences for Delhiites”.
The minister further claimed that many officers have approached her in confidence and said that they have been threatened by the Chief Secretary that if they cooperate with the elected government then a vigilance enquiry would be initiated against them and they would be suspended.
“This has created policy paralysis within the Delhi Government across departments as no officer is willing to work or sign any files,” she said.
Sharing a timeline of events, she said for the financial year 2023-24, a Budget Estimate (Plan) of `4,839.50 crores were approved as a grant in aid to the DJB, and the first instalment of Rs 1,598 crore was released in May.
In August 2023, DJB requested for release of the second instalment of the grant in aid, of which the amount pending as of October 31 is `910 crore. Subsequently, the finance and planning departments have been putting up queries and “delaying” the funds, Atishi said.