New Delhi: Trouble escalated for both former and incumbent CMs of Delhi Sheila Dikshit and Arvind Kejriwal when LG Najeeb Jung forwarded the Delhi Jal Board’s (DJB) complaint to ACB to probe the Rs 400 tanker scam.
The issue had cropped up recently in the Delhi Assembly and sparked a war of words between the AAP government and the opposition BJP.
Leader of the opposition Vijender Gupta had asked the government to make the DJB’s Fact Finding Committee report on the alleged scam public.
Soon after this, DJB chairman Kapil Mishra had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Jung to investigate the scam as agencies came directly under the Centre.
Here, India TV explains the scam in 10 points:
1. The Rs 400 crore tanker scam took place between 2010-2013 when Congress leader Sheila Dikshit was the chief minister of Delhi.
2. The first tender of Rs 50.98 crore to lease 450 tankers was cancelled by the government and within 18 months four fresh tenders worth Rs 637 crore was issued. These tankers were hired to supply water to those places in capital where Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has no network of its pipeline.
3. The government had allegedly ignored the rules framed for the appointment of consultant in the matter. The opposition had then accused the government of not following the laid procedure and indulging in favouritism in appointing the first consultant.
4. Only one company SPMC had participated in the bidding when the first tender was issued by the government. SPMC had even expressed its willingness to supply water at half the rates of the government’s price. But the company was not awarded the tender and government blocked it from taking part in further biddings.
5. Following this, the Delhi Jal Board released another tender in which six companies took part. This time, these companies allegedly lobbied together in different zones before applying for the same. As per the rules of bidding, the lowest bidder in each zone was awarded the contact. In zone 2 and 8, where only one company had applied, were given the tender to supply water.
6. When the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) stormed to power in capital, it appointed a fact finding committee to look into the matter. On August 28, 2015, DJB Chairman Kapil Mishra wrote a letter Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal citing findings of the committee report establishing that a Rs 400 crore scam during the tenure of erstwhile Congress government regime. However, he also mentioned in the letter that a probe into this scam could mean trouble for the current government as well.
7. On June 13 this year, after Leader of Opposition Vijendra Gupta raised the matter of the government sitting on the probe into the scam for months together in the Assembly, Mishra forwarded the file to LG Najeeb Jung urging him to initiate a probe by CBI or Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) and file an FIR against Sheila Dikshit.
8. On June 15, the LG forwarded city government’s complaint to the Anti Corruption Bureau. Jung, in his order also asked the ACB to probe the role of Kejriwal that under what circumstances he kept the report of the committee with him instead of forwarding it to the LG office.
9. The BJP is now trying to take credit for forcing AAP government to forward the file to LG. Vijender Gupta alleged the AAP sent the report in a deceitful manner, after having slept over it for almost a year, only due to pressure from the opposition. He has also claimed that instead of cancelling tenders issued by the previous government, Kejriwal chose to continue with the wrongdoers.
10. Meanwhile, Sheila Dikshit said that the allegations levelled against her are ‘politically motivated’. “The decisions were taken collectively by BJP MLAs, (civic body) members and the chief engineer. The tankers are still running. I don't know what the allegation is but it is politically motivated,” she said.
