New Delhi: Delhi government's fact-finding committee on the water tanker scam indicted former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in 2015 of wrongdoing, but the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government did not act on it for nearly a year, documents have revealed.
The fact-finding report dated July 14, 2015, accessed by CNN-News18 on Friday, indicted former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit of causing a loss of Rs 400 crore to the national exchequer.
However, despite being pointed out the irregularities in the Jal Board in 2015, Delhi Water Minister Kapil Sharma waited for almost a year before writing to Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung asking him to get it probed either by the CBI or Delhi's Anti-Corruption Bureau(ACB). Jung forwarded it to the ACB on Thursday.
"The allegations are politically motivated. It was not my decision to procure the water tankers. It was a collective decision by a board comprising DJB CEO, engineers and experts. A BJP MLA and two municipal councilors were also part of the decision making process," she told PTI.
Reacting to the fact finding report, BJP MLA, Vijendra Gupta said, "It is highly suspicious that why Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal sat on the files for almost a year. We suspect some secret understanding between Sheila Dikshit and Kejriwal."
He said, "In July, when he (Kejriwal) noticed there was something wrong in the whole issue, then why did he remain siklent and release funds to the private companies on a monthly basis. He should have ordered a probe then with the permission of LG."
The probe comes at a time reports suggested that Dikshit could be Congress party's poll in-charge in Punjab or its chief ministerial candidate in Uttar Pradesh.
Dikshit questioned the timing of the probe saying it showed that a motivated campaign was being launched against her.
me."
The allegations are politically motivated. It was not my decision to procure the water tankers. It was a collective decision by a board comprising DJB CEO, engineers and experts. A BJP MLA and two municipal councillors were also part of the decision making process," Dikshit said.
Countering BJP's allegations, Congress Leader Kiran Walia, said, "It is unfair to level charges against anyone before the final investigation report. We are ready to face any probe."
Walia claimed that the AAP government trying to divert the issue of 'office of profit' by raising the water tank scam.
"They (AAP government) are raising the issue for their political interests. I would like to ask Delhi Chief Minister, if he was so interested in weeding out corruption then why he was quiet for a year? He should have immediately terminated the contracts. Who stopped him from doing so?" she said.
Comments
0 comment