New Delhi [India], June 10 : Delhi Government's Water Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj challenged Delhi LG VK Saxena to present any new projects he has initiated before taking credit for the work done by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's government.
The challenge came in response to Lieutenant Governor's claim to clean the Yamuna River in time-bound manner.
Bhardwaj emphasised that all the progress made in the Yamuna cleaning efforts has been executed in accordance with the comprehensive six-point action plan announced by the Chief Minister in November 2021.
As per an official release from the office of the Water Minister, Delhi Government, This plan, devised by the Chief Minister himself, outlines crucial steps to address the core issues affecting the river and has served as the foundation for the Delhi Government's ongoing initiatives.
He further strongly criticised the claims made by the Lieutenant Governor's office, asserting that the Lieutenant Governor lacks the financial authority to approve any projects in the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) or the Irrigation and Flood Control Department (IFC).
"The ongoing attempts to present minutes of meetings and presentations from departments such as DJB and IFC as if they were solely the achievements of the Lieutenant Governor are misleading and a disservice to the collective efforts of the people of Delhi," he said.
Saurabh Bhardwaj further urged the Lieutenant Governor to refrain from misappropriating credit and instead focus on supporting the comprehensive initiatives undertaken by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the Delhi Government.
"The Delhi Jal Board (DJB), under the leadership of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, an IIT engineer himself, has made remarkable strides in addressing the problem of pollution in the Yamuna. However, the Lieutenant Governor's office has been unjustly claiming credit for the ongoing efforts initiated by the elected government and attempting to overshadow the visionary work accomplished by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal," He said.
The Water Minister has also laid stress on the fact that all the progress on the front of Yamuna cleaning is taking place as per a comprehensive six-point action plan announced by the CM in November 2021.
"This proactive initiative laid out key steps to address the core problems affecting the river, including increasing STP treatment capacity, in-situ treatment of major drains, upgradation of CETPs to handle industrial waste, linking community toilets and JJ clusters to the sewage system, expanding household sewage connections, and desilting and rehabilitating the sewerage system," he said.
Since the announcement of these action points, the DJB, under the direct guidance of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, has been tirelessly working towards the restoration of the Yamuna River. The Chief Minister has actively participated in fortnightly reviews, personally resolving interdepartmental issues.
"Regrettably, the Lieutenant Governor's office has been misrepresenting the initiatives undertaken by the Delhi Government as his own. The LG office copies minutes of meetings and presentations from departments such as DJB and IFC, and presents them falsely claiming that these projects are the sole achievements of the Lieutenant Governor. It is important to note that the Lieutenant Governor lacks the financial authority to approve any projects in the DJB or IFC. The ongoing attempts to claim credit for the work already initiated by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the Delhi Government are baseless and misleading." Saurabh Bhardwaj said.
The Water Minister also challenged the Lieutenant Governor's office to present any new projects or initiatives beyond the six-point action plan already announced.
"It is evident that the Lieutenant Governor has not sanctioned or approved even a single project related to Yamuna cleaning. The ongoing attempts to steal credit for the hard work and dedication of the Delhi Government are unwarranted and unjust," Saurabh Bhardwaj stated.
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