New Delhi: BJP on Thursday warned the Delhi
government against privatising the water supply in the city,
saying any such move will be resisted "tooth and nail" by the
party.
Delhi BJP chief Vijender Gupta and Leader of Opposition
in Assembly V K Malhotra, in a joint statement, strongly
condemned the Delhi government`s move to involve private
entities in management and distribution of water in the city.
"The Chief Minister has been trying to handover the
Delhi Jal Board to the private companies. But she has not been
able to do it because of our strong resistance. BJP will
resist any move tooth and nail to privatise water supply,"
they said.
The Delhi government yesterday set up a high-powered
committee to formulate a roadmap and bring reform in
management and distribution of water in the city, besides
restructuring the Delhi Jal Board.
The setting of the committee came a week after the
Planning Commission told the city government to initiate
long-term reform measures to bring efficiency in the water
sector considering Delhi`s increasing requirement of the
precious natural resource.
The committee, to be headed by Chief Secretary P K
Tripathi, will have to file its report within a month
following which it will be taken up by the Cabinet.
A DJB official said the government is likely to hand
over management and distribution of water to private entities
besides responsibilities like billing and revenue collection.
At a meeting with Dikshit last week, Planning Commission
Deputy Chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia had told her to
initiate long-term planning in conservation, treatment and
efficient distribution of water, considering the city`s ever
increasing population.
PTI
