How did you allow it? Delhi Lt Governor to Arvind Kejriwal on inflated water bills

Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena wrote to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday and questioned how the latter “allowed” the inflation of water bills since 2012 for the residents of the city. This was L-G’s second letter to Kejriwal in two days.Â

Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena was responding to Kejriwal’s reply to his earlier letter. Saxena said Kejriwal’s reply did not have a “single word” on the alleged inflation of water bills. “I am yet to understand as to how 10 lakh people kept getting inflated bills since 2012 and how did you allow this to happen all these years,” wrote Saxena.Â

The Lieutenant Governor also dismissed the allegations raised by the AAP government that he stalled its proposal for a one-time settlement of water bills.

He reiterated his claim from the earlier letter that he had not received “a single paper pertaining to the supposed water scheme”. Saxena also pointed out that Kejriwal did not answer his question of whether the proposal had been finalised.Â

In the letter from Wednesday, Saxena observed that the scheme was approved by the Delhi Jal Board on January 13, 2023 and was sent for comments from the finance department on January 25, 2024, after a gap of one year.

The minister concerned sent the file to the chief secretary as late as February 21, 2024, clearly indicating that the supposed ‘scheme’ was still in the process of formulation and was far from reaching any finality, said the L-G.

Kejriwal had replied to Saxena saying,”I have myself discussed this matter with you more than once.” He had also added that he notified the Lieutenant Governor that “the officers of Delhi Jal Board, Urban Development Department and Finance Department are creating a constitutional crisis by not bringing the proposal to the Council of Ministers”.

The Delhi Chief Minister had also told the Lieutenant Governor that he was “deeply pained by the language” of his letter.

“Whatever our differences, political backgrounds, however diverse our perspectives; this kind of offensive language is not acceptable from one constitutional functionary to another,” said Kejriwal.Â

To this, VK Saxena replied with a list of statements made by Arvind Kejriwal and other AAP ministers against him.Â

Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena listed the statements made against him by AAP ministers.

He also added that he had always underlined the “importance of propriety, constitutional boundaries, desisting from intemperate language and adhering to maryada (dignity)”.Â

“Having said that, I would like to say that I am pained, that you were pained,” said VK Saxena.

He also took a jibe at Arvind Kejriwal on the issue of inflated water bills and wrote, “I presume that you have been forced to accept the sheer mismanagement of the affairs of Delhi Jal Board, of which you have also been Chairman.”

The Lieutenant Governor asked the Delhi Chief Minister why the city government had not taken action over the last decade to ensure the people are not harassed with the alleged inflated water bills.Â

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