Cry against PPP in water distribution

Members of the Water Privatisation-Commercialisation Resistance Committee on Monday met CM Sheila Dikshit and criticised the recent award of work under the PPP model for 24x7 water supply in three areas of Delhi. HT reports.

Members of the Water Privatisation-Commercialisation Resistance Committee on Monday met Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and criticised the recent award of work under the PPP model for 24x7 water supply in three areas of Delhi.

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"This is the worst form of privatisation possible under the garb of public private partnership (PPP) model and needs to be opposed. The move amounts to handing over assets of the government to private operators along with 70 per cent of fresh capital investment and free raw water supply," the committee told Dikshit during the meeting.

Justice (retd) Rajinder Sachar is the chief patron of the committee.

The Delhi Jal Board (DJB), headed by Dikshit, had in 2012 awarded three private operators the work for overhauling the water distribution system in Nangloi, Mehrauli-Vasant Vihar and Malviya Nagar under the PPP model.

Justice Sachar said water is a basic need and a right under Article 21 of the Constitution and any form of privatisation of water, whether in the name of PPP, cannot be allowed.

Refusing to roll back the PPP projects, Dikshit said, "We are ready to hear him (Sachar) out and accordingly I have asked DJB CEO to arrange a meeting for detailed discussion. (But) we would not be reverting the PPP projects in these three areas."