Delhi Jal Board contractors threaten to stall work over non-payment of dues

Alleging non-payment of dues since February this year, a section of contractors working for the Delhi Jal Board has said they will stop ongoing projects from November 27.

DJB Vice Chairman Somnath Bharti claimed despite repeated directions from the finance minister, the finance fepartment has not released funds for the last three months and he will reach out to the Lieutenant Governor seeking his intervention.

The Delhi Jal Board Contractors Welfare Association has written to the Additional Chief Engineer mentioning that the workers will stop all the ongoing works due to nonpayment of dues.

"After detailed deliberations and finding no option, it was unanimously decided that all the ongoing works related to water leakages, water contamination, maintenance of water supply, settled sewerage system, maintenance of sewerage system, operation of tube wells and pumping stations, providing sewer beldars/engagement labours and de-silting work will be stopped from November 27," the letter read.

The decision was taken after a meeting was held by the association on November 23 over the non-payment of dues pending since February 2023.

"It is regretted that payments due since long (February 2023) are not released till date after so many requests. In view of the same, an executive committee meeting was held with all the contractors on November 23 to discuss the present situation of financial hardships being faced by all the working contractors of the department," the letter to DJB Additional Chief Engineer said.

It said that the work once stopped will be taken up only on receipt of due payments by all concerned contractors.

DJB Vice Chairman Somnath Bharti said that the Delhi Government has been doing everything possible to ensure the release of funds for DJB for the last 3 months.

"The Water Minister has repeatedly directed the Finance Department regarding the same and even wrote to the LG to ensure this.

"Despite repeated directions from the finance minister, the finance department has not released funds for the last 3 months. They keep on raising different queries and objections to delay the release of funds," Bharti said.

He said that they would reach out to the LG once again to request his intervention for the release of funds to DJB.

Earlier, Delhi Water Minister Atishi had claimed the city was staring at a "man-made water crisis" due to the stoppage of funds to the Delhi Jal Board by the finance department and demanded Lt Governor V K Saxena's immediate intervention in the matter.

According to government sources, the minister in her letter to the L-G alleged that Finance Secretary Ashish C Verma, on the chief secretary's advice, has stopped all funds of the DJB since August.

She demanded that appropriate action be taken against Verma.

Sources in the planning department said that Rs 1,598 crore was released to the DJB in June.

More funds will be released "based on evidence of the progress of works and geotagging for ensuring that public funds are not being misappropriated", a source said.