BJP MP Manoj Tiwari accuses DJB of corruption, demands judicial probe

New Delhi, Nov 22 (PTI) Delhi BJP MP Manoj Tiwari on Wednesday accused the Delhi Jal Board under the AAP government of indulging in corruption and demanded a judicial probe into its working.

Tiwari's charge came a day after Water Minister Atishi spoke of an impending water crisis due to a lack of funds with the Delhi Jal Board.

'When the Finance department of Delhi government asked the DJB to give an account of Rs 1,557 crore provided to it so that the next instalment of the budget amount could be released, the Water Minister started threatening of a water crisis in Delhi instead providing the details of the expenditure,' Tiwari charged in a press conference.

No immediate reaction was available from the DJB or the AAP government over Tiwari's allegation.

Tiwari alleged that the DJB has become 'synonymous with corruption' and a judicial inquiry was needed into its affairs rather than just an audit of its accounts.

Delhi needs 1,350 MGD of drinking water, while the availability is only 950 MGD, Tiwari claimed.

'It is regrettable that in almost nine years of its rule, the Kejriwal government has not made any efforts to increase the availability of drinking water and Delhi is still a victim of tanker mafia,' alleged the North East Delhi MP.

He alleged that the accounts of the DJB have not been prepared since 2016-17, nor has any audit been done since then.

Atishi Tuesday claimed the city was staring at a 'man-made water crisis' due to the stoppage of funds to the Delhi Jal Board by the finance department and demanded Lt Governor V K Saxena's immediate intervention in the matter.

The minister in a letter to the LG demanded action against the officer who has the funds meant for the board on stop since August this year. PTI VIT VIT VN VN