NEW DELHI, Apr 8: The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) received more than Rs 28,400 crore since 2015-16 but it did not use the funds as per sanction conditions, the Delhi Government’s principal finance secretary has told the Supreme Court which is hearing an AAP Government’s plea alleging non-disbursal of funds to the water utility. The senior Government official also said the statutory body lacks accountability.
The top court had on April 5 asked the Delhi Government’s Principal Secretary (Finance) to release funds to the DJB and had made the utility, responsible for supplying potable water to the national capital, a party to the plea filed by the ruling AAP dispensation.
In an affidavit filed before a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, Ashish Chandra Verma, the principal secretary of the finance department, extensively referred a March 15 report of the chief secretary on the subject of “serious problems” related to water supply and maintenance of sewage lines being faced by residents of Delhi to counter the claims made by the Arvind Kejriwal Government.
“Despite receiving more than Rs.28,400 crores of rupees from public exchequer (i.E. GNCTD) since 2015-16, there is no accountability, and the funds are not been used as per sanction conditions, as indicated by the CAG in its report.
“This becomes more so worrisome that the CAG audit has been delayed by non-preparation of balance sheet, which needs examination about the conduct of DJB in this regard,” the official said in his affidavit.
Seeking dismissal of the plea, the finance secretary termed it as completely “untenable, misconceived and un-supported by facts and law” on various grounds including that it was not filed after following the due process. Referring to the report of the chief secretary, the affidavit said, “Water tariffs (and thus sewer tariffs as they are calculated as 60% of the water tariffs) have not been increased since 01.02.2018 (which used to be revised every year by way of enhancement @ 10% per annum), and service charges have not been increased since 01.01.2015, thus affecting the financial health of the DJB.”
It said the water utility was losing out on a potential revenue of about Rs 1,200 crore per annum due to non-enhancement of tariff against domestic bills alone.
“While the number of consumers with dues was about 11 lakhs in July, 2023, the same had risen to over 14 lakhs in January, 2024, implying that consumers were wilfully not depositing their dues in anticipation of yet another scheme as was being announced,” the affidavit said. (PTI)
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