BJP to contest assembly polls on key issues of water, power : Goel

·         BJP to contest assembly polls on key issues of water, power : Goel

·         BJP to unveil white paper on “State of water” in Delhi

·         Inflated water bills reflects towards people of Delhi

23 September, 2013:: The Delhi BJP today slammed the Delhi Government for total mismanagement of the Delhi Jal Board headed by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit which has resulted in over-charging people for water supplied to their homes in Delhi, 40% of which in any case does not get supply drinking water. By its own admission, the DJB, which is under the Delhi CM for past 15 years, the water bills have been inflated by 30% in the city.

In a statement issued today, the Delhi BJP President Shri Vijay Goel said, “Water and power will be the key issues on which the BJP will contest the assembly elections. The party will soon release a white paper on the “state of water” in Delhi.”

“It is shocking to see that despite more than 1000 per cent increase in water tariff over the last 15 years, the DJB has illegally inflated water bills by 30% and charged them from the common people. The current water tariff rate in Delhi is already very high and the CAG has observed that it is nine times that of Mumbai.”

 Shri Goel  further said, “People in Delhi have been handed over water bills running into lakhs of rupees due to faulty reading of water meters installed by the DJB or private companies brought in by the DJB. The DJB under this government continues to be insensitive towards people of Delhi.”

“Over-charging for erratic and inadequate water supply is harassment of people by the Delhi Government and token rebate will not do when bills for the months of June and July running into lakhs of rupees have been kept out of the purview of rebate,” he added.

The water department has been under the Delhi Chief Minister's direct control for the last 15 years. As chairperson of DJB, the CM has been responsible for not only the water supply and billing in the city but also for the cleaning of Yamuna, which, even the court says, has turned into a dirty drain.

Delhi produces around 835 million gallons per day (MGD) of water, which is at least 300 MGD short of the actual demand. The Chief Minister's biggest failure in ensuring water supply has been to get Haryana to release 80 MGD from the Munak canal in Haryana. Three completed treatment plants in Delhi await water and thousands of people in Delhi get no water or barely once a day.

The Delhi government introduced public-private partnership in water distribution saying that this model will improve water supply, stop massive wastage of water due to leaking pipelines and ensure correct billing. None of these has happened. This model under the present government has only aggravated people’s water woes in Delhi. This step proved the Delhi government's inability to provide basic amenities to the people.

Water mafia has a free run. The mafia is dependent on illegal extraction of water and colludes with staff to siphon off DJB supply and sell it. These tankers are have a field day because they cater to a large market in Delhi that would otherwise become DJB's responsibility, which has been shirked by the Delhi government in the past 15 years.