NEW DELHI: The confrontation between Delhi ministers and bureaucrats flared up again on Saturday with Revenue Minister Atishi “pulling up” chief secretary Naresh Kumar over the delay in disbursal of flood relief amount.
Atishi directed chief secretary Kumar to submit a comprehensive status report to her as well as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by Monday, 6 pm.
She expressed her dismay that despite a cabinet decision to provide Rs 10,000 as relief to flood victims, the funds had not reached those in need even 10 days after the announcement. It was shocking, she said, only 197 families have been given the compensation. There are 4,716 families staying in relief camps.
In a letter to the chief secretary, the minister asserted that it has been 10 days since the cabinet took the decision on the monetary relief. But in 10 days, 19 IAS and 18 DANICs officers along with 6 DMs, 6ADMs and 18 SDMs have not been able to process the relief package, she said.
“Given the number of officers deployed for flood relief and rehabilitation, each of these officers had to process the relief for 70 families. This means they had to provide relief to 7 families per day, and that too has not been done. Such laxity is absolutely shocking,” Atishi wrote to Kumar.
The minister directed the chief secretary to ensure that all officers are deployed on July 29, and 30, to process the ex gratia relief for the flood-affected so that money can be transferred into their bank accounts on Monday.