Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday ordered a Comptroller Auditor General of India (CAG) audit in the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), claiming that his government has zero tolerance for corruption. He stated that the misuse of public funds would not be tolerated and mandated a CAG audit of the Delhi Jal Board’s finances for the past 15 years.

This decision came as a response to objections and allegations concerning financial irregularities and mismanagement raised by the finance department. During interactions with the media, he cautioned about an impending water and sewage crisis in the capital due to the non-release of funds.

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Delhi Water Minister Atishi highlighted that the national capital was facing a ‘man-made water crisis’ due to the halt in funds to the Delhi Jal Board by the finance department. She demanded immediate intervention from Lt Governor VK Saxena in the matter.

Atishi claimed that concerns regarding financial mismanagement had been raised by the finance department, though no specific instances of financial improprieties or errant officials were highlighted, So the CM ordered a big audit by the CAG.

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On Wednesday, Kejriwal stated, “We have ordered a CAG audit of the last 15 years of records of the Delhi Jal Board. CAG is a third-party and the biggest agency in the country. Things will become clearer now.”

“If someone has committed irregularities, they should be punished. If no irregularities have been committed, then those who level baseless allegations will get to know,” he added, as per PTI.

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Responding to queries about the fund crisis in the Delhi Jal Board and its impact on ongoing works, the chief minister said that If bureaucracy remains unaccountable to the government, it will be challenging to run the government. The non-release of funds could lead to water and sewer crises.

Delhi Jal Board vice-chairman Somnath Bharti welcomed the government’s decision to order an audit, stating that this reflects the transparency of the Delhi government. “This proves the honesty of the AAP government and our leader Arvind Kejriwal” he said.

There’s been a disagreement between the BJP and AAP over DJB’s actions over the past month. BJP has alleged Kejriwal as ‘crime master Gogo’, BJP accuses DJB of a scam in handling tenders for sewage treatment plants. They also claimed corruption worth Rs 5,000 crore by AAP. BJP leaders also planned to meet Lt Governor for a quick investigation into DJB’s alleged scams.

The CAG audit is by Section 69 of the DJB Act and Section 19(3) of the CAG (Duties, Power and Conditions of Services