The Delhi Government’s Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) has sent two notices to former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit asking her to join the investigation in connection with four cases registered in the alleged water meter scam.
The ACB has also issued notice to Delhi Jal Board’s BM Dhaul to appear before it by July 25.
Though ACB chief MK Meena confirmed that the notices have been sent to Dikshit, he refused to divulge further details.
Meanwhile, Sheila Dikshit denied having received any ACB notices and said she would respond as and when she receives them.
Four FIRs were registered by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government during its previous 49-day rule in 2014 in connection with alleged irregularities in the DJB during the erstwhile Dikshit Government’s regime that allegedly caused a loss of Rs 341 crore to the exchequer.
The ACB has sent two notices to Dikshit. In one, she has been asked to join the investigation and in the second, she has been requested to inform the agency about the convenient time and place for the questioning to take place.
The notice (5067/Hk/RC-15/14/ACB) states, “It appears that you (Sheila Dikshit) are acquainted with facts and circumstances of the case and are required to join the investigation. A suitable and convenient date, time and place are required to be fixed for the above mentioned purpose in the month of August 2016. The same may be conveyed to the undersigned at the earliest.”
Meena said the case was registered in 2014 in the ACB, adding that the DJB had bought 2.5 lakh water metres and there were allegations that there was no proper tendering and tender conditions were changed so that certain private companies benefitted from it.
The Delhi Government had asked the ACB to probe irregularities in allotting work to a private company at the DJB’s Bhagirathi water treatment plant in North-East Delhi that allegedly resulted in a loss of Rs 158 crore to the Government.
The other case pertained to alleged financial irregularities in the purchase of four lakh automatic meter readers and non-AMR water meters with a purported intent to favour one particular company, which resulted in a loss of around Rs 150 crore to the Government.
In another case, it was alleged that 3.5 lakh non-AMR water meters were purchased on the basis of a single tender to benefit a particular private company which led to an approximate loss of Rs 33 crore to the exchequer.