Delhi Police yet to clear DJB bills, Chadha seeks Home Min's intervention

Delhi Jal Board Vice Chairman Raghav Chadha on Wednesday requested the home ministry to direct Delhi Police to clear the utility's bills amounting to Rs 607 crore.

Chadha met Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy and sought his intervention into the matter.

"The VC requested the minister's intervention in recovering the dues running into Rs 607 crore, so that the financial challenges facing the board can be overcome," the DJB said in a statement.

Chadha told the minister that the water utility had sent multiple show cause notices to Delhi Police, but did not get any response.

"This has hindered the smooth expedition of the functions and duties of the board, which is doing the groundwork for expanding its operations, and bringing about revolutionary changes in the current structure of water supply as well as water management," the statement read.

"All of this requires regular flow of finances. Releasing the dues owed to the DJB would go a long way in meeting necessary and immediate expenses," it said.

Chadha said that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic condition of the state government is in a bad shape and therefore, the Delhi government wants to complete all such pending transactions.

"Delhi continues to reel in the aftermath of an extraordinary situation of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the city is treading cautiously towards a semblance of normalcy, an amount as high as what is due from Delhi Police can be surmounted if the DJB receives its shares of outstanding dues," he said.

In September, Chadha had said that around seven government agencies had not cleared the bills of the DJB.

"Railways owes Rs 3,283 crore to the DJB for the services provided by it, while the CPWD (Central Public Works Department) has to clear dues amounting to Rs 190 crore," Chadha had said.

The DDA owes Rs 128 crore, East Delhi Municipal Corporation Rs 49 crore, North Delhi Municipal Corporation Rs 2,466 crore and South Delhi Municipal Corporation Rs 81 crore, the DJBvice-chairman had said.