The Arvind Kejriwal-led government has directed an audit of Delhi Jal Board by Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) amid allegations of misappropriation of funds. The records of the last 15 years will be audited, they said. The BJP and AAP have been sparring over alleged irregularities in the Delhi Jal Board since last month.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on the move said, "Opposition is levelling some allegations. So, with this, (audit) everything will be crystal clear. We have ordered a CAG audit of the Delhi Jal Board for the last 15 years...If someone has done something wrong, they will be punished. If there is no discrepancy, the truth will come out..."
Earlier this week, BJP leaders and workers staged a protest outside the Delhi Jal Board office accusing the AAP government-run agency of corruption. The party members accused the DJB of running a "scam" awarding bogus tenders for the upgradation of its sewerage treatment plants.
'This reflects the transparency'
Welcoming the government's decision, Delhi Jal Board vice-chairman Somnath Bharti said, "There cannot be a better thing than this. This reflects the transparency of the Delhi government that the chief minister himself opted to order a CAG audit. This proves the honesty of the AAP government and our leader Arvind Kejriwal. This also kills the attempt to politicise the Delhi Jal Board. In DJB, we have been all working hard to serve the people of Delhi but BJP has been trying to bring issues that have no merit. So now, the CAG audit will make everything clear."
BJP ups ante
Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi had alleged a "scam" of Rs 3,237 crore in the Delhi Jal Board under the AAP government, citing various accounting-related irregularities since 2017. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva had also alleged that the DJB "scam" was bigger than the "liquor scam" – an alleged scam which has seen the jailing of several AAP leaders, including deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia. He alleged that at DJB, tenders were issued and payments were made, but no work was done. Leader of Opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri demanded a CBI probe into the alleged corruption.
He charged that a meeting of the DJB that approved the tenders was participated in by Manish Sisodia and Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj with several AAP MLAs as members of the panel.
