NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party said that the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government introduced the ‘One Time Settlement’ scheme for water bills, but its implementation has hit a roadblock as the BJP obstructed it through administrative channels.
The party alleged that the interference comes amid pressure from Lieutenant Governor (L-G) VK Saxena and the Centre to decline its execution. Responding to what they deem as authoritarian tactics by the BJP and the central authorities, the AAP has vowed to stage protests across the national capital.
AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP and National General Secretary (Organisation) Sandeep Pathak said that the government had announced the ‘One-Time Settlement Scheme’ for water bill settlement and now the Centre has obstructed this scheme through officers. “The BJP wants to discredit the AAP by obstructing the work of Delhi residents. The BJP continues to plot various conspiracies to defame the AAP,” he said.
Delhi’s Cabinet Minister Gopal Rai said that the problem of inappropriate water bills national capital has been rising. “Wrong water bills have been issued to people in Delhi, which we want to rectify,” he added.
He added, “A dual government is being run through the L-G by controlling the officers of Delhi. One government openly sits in front of the people under the leadership of CM Arvind Kejriwal, while the other government is the one which the BJP has placed on the other side of the wall, which operates under the leadership of the L-G.”
Senior AAP leader Atishi said that skyrocketing water bills in Delhi is the most burning issue for the people. She said, “Due to the failure to take readings on time during Covid, more than 10 lakh families have not been able to pay their bills.”
Delhi Cabinet Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said that the Delhi Jal Board in June 2023 scientifically formulated a computerised scheme, in which a formula was prepared to settle old escalated bills at once.
Provision was made to generate bills by calculating the actual consumption of their water and a provision was made for a one-time offer for settlement, Bharadwaj added.
“Officers have refused to bring this policy to the cabinet. We are now going to launch a major movement regarding the settlement of bills of the people of the national capital,” he added.
‘Pipeline leakage, water logging issue to end soon’
The Delhi Jal Board said that pipeline leakage and water logging issues in Adarsh Nagar Assembly Constituency will end soon. The DJB said that on-ground inspections will continue and the agency will try to find a solution within 24 hours. DJB Vice Chairman Somnath Bharti inspected the Mangal Mazar area and said that the work to plug the leaking pipeline will start from February 23 and the problem of water logging will be eliminated soon.