Expressing her strong displeasure over the lack of water and drainage members in the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) for over two months, Delhi Water Minister Atishi on Sunday directed Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to ensure full-time DJB members (water, drainage, finance) within seven working days.

In a letter to the Delhi chief secretary, Atishi said the DJB is a critical civic utility for the people of the national capital as it is responsible for water and sewerage facilities. “The senior-most official responsible for managing water supply is the member (Water) and the senior-most official responsible for managing sewerage network is the member (Drainage). However, it is a matter of grave concern that currently the DJB does not have a member (Water) or member (Drainage) since mid-October,” she said in her letter.

Atishi regretted that no interim or permanent member has been appointed since the tenure of the incumbent members expired in mid-October. “It is absolutely shocking that DJB has been left bereft of the senior most technical members. This has meant that several projects have come to a standstill because technical approvals can only be given by these technical members,” she said.

Atishi said the files for recruiting the two new members have been shuttling between the DJB, Department of Urban Development and Services Department for the last two months. “Both the concerned ministers – Water and Urban Development – have been kept in the dark, claiming that it is a ‘services’ matter and therefore outside the purview of the elected government,” she said.

The Delhi water minister further said there had been no full-time member (Finance) for more than three months, since the incumbent member is on medical leave. “The member (Administration) is handing the additional charge of Member (Finance) for several months,” the minister said.

“How is DJB supposed to provide water and sewerage facilities to the people of Delhi if it is kept bereft of senior administrators? At worst this seems like a conspiracy to bring DJB to a standstill and at best it is sheer callousness towards the people of Delhi,” Atishi said.

The chief secretary is directed to coordinate with all concerned stakeholders – DJB, Department of Urban Development and Services Department – and ensure that the DJB has a full-time member (Water), member (Drainage) and member (Finance) within seven working days, the minister added.