Free water not on agenda of DJB meeting

The Delhi Jal Board ( DJB) meeting to be held on Tuesday does not have on its agenda the issue of continuation of up to 20,000 litres free water per month for functional metres from the new financial year.

There is an ongoing dilemma over the issue as it has been officially announced by the chief secretary that there is no provision made for this in the recently cleared interim budget.

“It is not on the copy of the agenda provided to us. Moreover, now, no one can bring in a fresh item on the agenda as per the rules. It needs to be brought in formally,”said BJP’s Meera Agrawal, board’s political member

he Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government that resigned on February 14, had announced - through a board decision - to provide up to 20,000 litres water free of cost to each of the domestic consumers with functional metres. As per DJB’s data, the

IT IS NOT ON THE COPY OF THE AGENDA PROVIDED TO US. MOREOVER, NOW, NO ONE CAN BRING IN A FRESH ITEM ON THE AGENDA AS PER THE RULES. MEERA AGRAWAL, BJP member, DJB

yearly financial implication for providing this free water up to 20,000 litres per month is likely to be minimum ` 165 crore.

DJB member said, “Approximately ` 1100 crore is spent on board employees’ salaries and ` 500 crore on power bills. The government has to take a call if it can provide money for the continuation of the scheme and surely arrange the funds.”

While the AAP has criticised the alleged move of discontinuation of the scheme, both Congress and BJP have agreed to continue it in-principle only if the annual tariff hike of 10% is reversed.