BJP protests at DJB headquarters over alleged corruption

BJP leaders and workers on Thursday held a protest outside the Delhi Jal Board office accusing corruption in the AAP government-run public utility.The BJP leaders accused a scam in tendering for the upgradation of sewerage treatment plants STPs of Delhi Jal Board DJB.Hitting back, the ruling AAP in Delhi termed BJPs protest a political drama.Everyday they allege a new scam, but they dont take any action against any official although they have all the powers with their government at the Centre.

BJP leaders and workers on Thursday held a protest outside the Delhi Jal Board office accusing corruption in the AAP government-run public utility.

The BJP leaders accused a ''scam'' in tendering for the upgradation of sewerage treatment plants (STPs) of Delhi Jal Board (DJB).

Hitting back, the ruling AAP in Delhi termed BJP's protest a ''political drama''.

''Everyday they allege a new scam, but they don't take any action against any official although they have all the powers with their government at the Centre. Everyone knows that the bureaucracy in Delhi reports to the BJP-ruled Centre. They have all the powers to take any kind of disciplinary action against any official,'' the AAP said in a statement.

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva alleged that the DJB ''scam'' was bigger than the ''liquor scam'' of the Kejriwal government.

He alleged that at the DJB, there were many instances where tenders were issued, and payments were made, but no work was done.

''The STP tender worth Rs 1,200 crore was floated for Rs 1,546 crore and further increased to Rs 1,938 crore. A fortnight ago we had alleged a scam of Rs 3,753 crore in the DJB on the basis of documents and even today we stand by it,'' Sachdeva asserted.

Sachdeva said BJP workers will reach every home in Delhi to ''expose DJB's corruption'' under the Kejriwal government.

The Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, demanded a CBI probe into the alleged corruption.

He alleged that the meeting of the DJB that approved the tenders was attended by Manish Sisodia and minister Saurabh Bhardwaj with several AAP MLAs as members of the panel.

Bidhuri claimed that the DJB that posted a profit of Rs 700 crore a few years ago has now sunk into a Rs 70,000 crore loss, and despite repeated letters from the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Kejriwal government has avoided an audit of the Board.

The AAP accused the BJP of protecting ''corrupt officials.'' ''So far the BJP has chosen to only protect all corrupt officials of the Delhi government. The Delhi government has itself asked the DJB and the Finance department to identify errant officers based on complaints received so far, but no action has been taken,'' the AAP claimed.

The ministers play no role whatsoever in the tendering process, which is all handled by officials concerned. It is not the minister's responsibility to get into the technicalities and rules but rather the job of DJB officials to take cognisance of such standards, it said.

It is ''well known'' that the GNCTD Act does not give powers to elected AAP government to take any action. But if any kind of wrongdoing has taken place, the Aam Aadmi Party would urge the LG to take strongest possible action against anyone who has worked against public interest, it added.