The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to the Principal Secretary (Finance) on plea of AAP govt alleging non-release of funds meant for Delhi Jal Board. A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud did not issue notice to the office of Delhi Lieutenant Governor after taking note of the submissions of senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi that the LG has no role in the disbursal of funds by the finance department of the Delhi government.
The bench, also comprising justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, has now posted the matter for hearing on April 5. Earlier on March 20, the Arvind Kejriwal government had moved the top court over the issue in the latest run-in involving the bureaucracy and the AAP dispensation in Delhi.
The CJI had assured the AAP government that it can always order the release of Rs 3,000 crore funds meant for the Delhi Jal Board even after they lapse on March 31. Senior lawyer Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the Delhi government, had said that the budget was duly passed and yet the funds meant for the DJB were not being released and it would result in their lapse.
Earlier, the Enforcement Directorate made a startling allegation, claiming that funds derived from alleged corruption within a Delhi Jal Board (DJB) contract were 'passed on' as election funds to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). According to a statement by the central agency, incriminating documents, digital evidence, valuables amounting to Rs 1.97 crore, and foreign currency worth Rs 4 lakh were seized during raids conducted in connection with this case on February 6.
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