The newly appointed chairperson of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), Rajendra Pal Gautam, on Saturday ordered inquiries into allegations that consumers suddenly began receiving higher bills and less water supply despite no dip in production, right before the civic elections in April.
After being sworn in by Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal on Friday evening, Mr. Gautam spent his first day as DJB chairperson inspecting zonal revenue offices and meeting top officials. At the zonal revenue offices at GTB Enclave and Yamuna Vihar, Mr. Gautam said he received complaints of alleged inflated bills, which he asked DJB officials to investigate. He said that a report would be submitted within a week.
Mishra’s sacking
His appointment was necessitated after former DJB chairperson Kapil Mishra was sacked by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on May 6. The Aam Aadmi Party government had said that Mr. Mishra’s management of water supply in the city was “not up to the mark”. The sacked Minister went on to accuse the CM of corruption and was suspended from the party.
Though Mr. Gautam did not blame his predecessor, he said that the water “crisis” before the municipal polls appeared to be “politically motivated”. “I have asked for a report on the water crisis before the elections. Till December, people were getting no bills or small amounts. After that, they started getting bills of over ₹1,000,” said Mr. Gautam.
When asked whether he would order an inquiry into the role of Mr. Mishra, if any, in the crisis, he said: “Any wrongdoing at any level would be probed. We have no ill intentions. We are not targeting anyone. But we will reveal the truth”.
Meanwhile, protests against water shortage and contaminated water supply have witnessed across the city. On Saturday, residents of Mahipalpur protested against the water crisis in their area. Mr. Gautam said that he had asked for a report on these incidents as well.
