Delhi MLAs seek action against officials ‘hampering’ govt

AAP demands suspension of Delhi govt bureaucrats hindering water bill settlement scheme.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday demanded the suspension of the Delhi government bureaucrats who it alleged were obstructing the Delhi Jal Board’s (DJB) one-time settlement scheme for unpaid water bills. The AAP MLAs raised slogans in the Delhi Assembly against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), twice disrupted the proceedings, and did not return to their seats despite multiple appeals from the Speaker, prompting the latter to adjourn the House till Wednesday.

AAP MLAs protest at the Delhi assembly on Tuesday. (Arvid Yadav/HT Photo)

Last week, the Delhi government announced that it would soon float a “one-time settlement scheme” to allow residents to clear pending water bills after paying substantially reduced amounts that would be recalculated based on usage patterns. The planned move would offer relief to over a million consumers who have complained of inflated water bills for several years. On Monday, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said secretaries of the urban development department and the finance department were obstructing the government’s efforts to bring out the scheme and threatened to launch a major agitation in the city if the scheme was not implemented quickly. The assembly on Monday passed a resolution urging lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena to get the settlement scheme implemented by issuing necessary directions to Delhi government officials concerned — under the amended GNCTD Act, bureaucrats in Delhi report to the LG.

“During the House proceedings, one-and-a-half dozen AAP MLAs came to the well and reached my seat. They surrounded me and started waving placards. They not only used abusive language against me but also used objectionable language towards the BJP and its top leadership,” said Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri.

He added that he has asked the Speaker to take appropriate action against the AAP MLAs.

The AAP said that it wants action taken against the government officers allegedly obstructing the settlement scheme.

“DJB has 2.7 million consumers of which 1.6 million consumers have not paid their water bills for months because they think the bills are much higher than their consumption and have been issued incorrectly. Now this has escalated to a situation of a deadlock between DJB and its consumers, in which consumers are not paying bills and DJB is not reducing bills. These bills are increasing every day due to interest, and late payment charges levied by DJB. Action could be initiated against the officers, and this policy should be brought to the cabinet,” said urban development minister Saurabh Bharadwaj.

Education minister Atishi said the city’s residents want a one-time settlement scheme for their water bills, but the BJP had conspired and prevented this one-time settlement scheme from being implemented. “Today, the BJP and LG control the entire bureaucracy of the Delhi government and through this, they are stopping the one-time settlement scheme. I am telling the BJP...if you stop the scheme through officers, then Arvind Kejriwal’s government and every soldier of Arvind Kejriwal will come out on the streets and fight to get this scheme passed,” Atishi said.