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Following the murder of a woman in Shahdara after an alleged fight with neighbours over filling up water from a common tap, Delhi minister Atishi wrote to Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena seeking that the Delhi Jal Board CEO be suspended.
She also demanded that an independent inquiry be set up to look into the “acts of omission and commission of Chief Secretary, as well as officers of Finance Department, Urban Development Department and DJB”. The minister said their actions had led to the water utility being starved of funds in the previous financial years because of which installation of borewells could not take place.
“For the last six months, the undersigned (Atishi) gave repeated directions to the CEO of Delhi Jal Board and the Chief Secretary to ensure augmentation of water supply, so that there is no shortage of water when the onset of summer happens,” she wrote.
The office of the Lt Governor did not respond when asked about Atishi’s letter. “In light of this shocking incident… Honourable L-G is requested to immediately suspend the CEO of Delhi Jal Board within 24 hours as this criminal negligence has taken place under his watch,” the minister wrote.
Atishi had issued directions on April 3; directions were also issued to the chief secretary to submit an action-taken report on the steps being taken by the DJB.
In her letter to the Lt Governor, Atishi wrote, “However, on April 4, the CEO of DJB had the audacity to send me a note… stating that I would not be given any information regarding the water supply situation in Delhi because the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is in force…”
DJB, in its April 4 note to Atishi, wrote that while it cannot violate the MCC, it is putting its “best efforts into resolving routine and emergent grievances of citizens” that were also raised by the minister.
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