Vijender Gupta says Delhi Jal Board decision is not going to benefit anyone

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Vijender Gupta on Monday said that decision taken by the Delhi Jal Board to supply 20 kiloliters of free water to each household is not going to benefit anyone.

"There are more than 11 lakh poor families in Delhi who are not getting water. This decision will not prove to be beneficial for them," said Gupta.

"If it will not benefit them, then who is supposed to benefit from it? He said.

After meeting Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday, the Delhi Jal Board had declared that 20 kiloliters water will be provided free of cost to the people of Delhi on January 1, 2014.

"We had a meeting, which was chaired by the Delhi CM, and we have decided to provide 20 kilolitres of free water per month for domestic consumers having functional water meters, and this will come into effect from 1st January 2014," said Delhi Jal Board CEO Vijay Kumar.

This will include all charges for water, sewerage and service, he added.

"In order to encourage water conservation, consumers who go beyond the free water supply limit will be charged for the entire consumption," said Kumar.

Kumar was appointed as the CEO of the DJB on Saturday evening in place of Debashree Mukherjee, who is understood to have expressed her reservations about supplying water free of cost.

Following Monday's landmark announcement, every Delhi household with a water meter will get 666/667 liters of water per day.

AAP leader Kuamr Vishwas said the Delhi Government would continue with the scheme as long as it was in office as there is plenty of water.

Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit said that there was need for the Delhi Government to provide water to those who do not get water at all.

The Delhi Jal Board has also decided to extend the Area Rebate Scheme (ARS), which was to expire on 1st January 2014 till 31st March 2014.

Kejriwal, who assumed office on Saturday, said, the government would decide on his party's promise to supply about 700 liters of free water to each household and cut down electricity charges by early next week.