Delhi Minister Atishi claims DJB budget shortages are part of a conspiracy
finance department of orchestrating a scheme to withhold funds from the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), resulting in a critical shortage of manpower and equipment necessary for sewer line maintenance and repairs.
Atishi alleges that since the beginning of the 2023-24 fiscal year, the finance department has been creating «unnecessary» obstacles and generating an "artificial financial crisis."
Documents reviewed by the Times of India reveal that the release of funds allocated for this fiscal year has not adhered to the scheduled timeline, severely impacting the water utility's operations.
According to the established schedule, funds should be disbursed in three phases: 25% in April or May, 50% in September-October, and the remaining 25% in January-February. However, for the 2023-24 fiscal year, funds were only released up until March 31.
Following DJB's appeal to the Supreme Court for the release of nearly ₹1,500 crore—which was at risk of lapsing—the finance department eventually allocated ₹500 crore, primarily used to settle outstanding payments. Consequently, liabilities amounting to ₹777 crore were carried over to the next fiscal year.
The release of funds continues to be sluggish this year as well; of the ₹7,195 crore budgeted for 2024-25, only ₹1,100 crore has been released as August nears its end. A significant portion of this sum was used to address last fiscal year's liabilities.
Due to the shortage of funds, DJB has had to cut back on manpower and machinery, leading to severe operational disruptions. «Every day,
