DJB says will file police complaints over faulty meter readings

On September 13, the DJB had undertaken a review meeting on problems arising with meter readers. The board had stated that private agencies will also be held responsible for faulty meter readings.

In a bid to tackle irregularities in billing and faulty meter readings, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has started filing police complaints against meter readers and private agencies hired for the same in cases where lapses have been found.

Delhi Jal Board vice chairman Saurabh Bharadwaj (HT Photo)

“An FIR has been registered against a meter reader of a private agency that had been appointed for billing on behalf of Delhi Jal Board. Several complaints were received from customers against meter readers regarding frauds and irregularities in billing,” DJB vice chairman Saurabh Bharadwaj said on Wednesday. “It should be considered corruption and FIR should also be registered against delinquent water meter readers. Any meter reader against whom action is taken for such delinquency would also be blacklisted instantly so that he is not re-employed by any other agency of Delhi Jal Board in future.”

On September 13, the DJB had undertaken a review meeting on problems arising with meter readers. The board had stated that private agencies will also be held responsible for faulty meter readings.

The jurisdiction of the DJB has been divided into 41 zones, and in 21, private agencies have been appointed by the board to help with billing. “Many DJB customers have been complaining against such meter readers of these private agencies, stating that they have been tempting the customers to get their water bills reduced in lieu of some money. Directions had been issued last week to register FIRs against such erring meter readers and their respective agencies. Delhi Jal Board will also issue show cause notices to the agencies paying less than minimum wages, and write to the labour department requesting them to take strict action against these agencies,” a DJB spokesperson said.

DJB has around 22 lakh active water connections with functional meters, covering around 93% of the households in the city. For 2022, the board has set a target of collecting ₹1950 crore in revenue, with an 85% collection efficiency, the last outcome budget of the government states. The board has around 900 meter readers and 2,650,000 consumers, of which around 1,800,000 consumers avail of the government’s free water scheme.

Meter readers have been provided with tablets and they are expected to take pictures of meter readings which can be later audited, the DJB official quoted above said.

In December 2021, an audit by the DJB revealed that 20 meter readers engaged by a private agency were taking faulty meter readings. Subsequently, the services of these 20 readers were terminated and a show cause notice was issued to the agency.