Action against suppression of water tanker case: ACB chief

Days after the BJP accused the Kejriwal government of suppressing a report on the Rs 400 crore water tanker scam, Delhi ACB chief M.K. Meena on Friday assured of action against anyone responsible for suppressing the case.

Asked whether the ACB would summon Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) accused him in the case, Meena said: "If need be, we will."

"Legal action will be taken as per the law and merits against those responsible for suppressing the case," Meena told NewsX TV channel in an interview.

He said the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) had received two complaints regarding the scam.

"Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra in a letter said he got an inquiry conducted into water tanker distribution management system during Sheila Dikshit's tenure as Delhi Chief Minister in which a scam of Rs 400 crore was found.

"In another complaint by Vijender Gupta, it is alleged that Mishra gave the committee report to Kejriwal on August 28, 2015, but no action was taken. We are looking into this aspect also," he added.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in June 2015 set up a five-member fact-finding committee to probe the alleged irregularities in hiring 385 stainless steel water tankers by the Delhi Jal Board in 2012 during Sheila Dikshit's rule.

On Thursday, Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung also cleared a probe against Diskhit in the said scam.

Dikshit, while responding to media queries, said the decision to award the tender was taken "collectively" by a committee.

The AAP government had recommended an FIR against Congress leader Dikshit by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the ACB.

--IANS

av/tsb/vm