AAP govt's big crackdown: 800 Delhi Jal Board officials transferred

New Delhi: Around 800 officials of Delhi Jal Board were tonight transferred by AAP government in a massive reshuffle in the water distribution utility aimed at improving its service delivery mechanism. Sources said transfer orders have been issued following a direction from Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who is the chairperson of the Jal Board. They said the Chief Minister had issued specific directions to revamp the service delivery mechanism of Delhi Jal Board, following which the transfers have been effected. [caption id=“attachment_1325573” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Arvind Kejriwal. AFP[/caption] Transfer orders for around 800 officials were issued today to improve service delivery, officials said. The action came ten days after DJB CEO Debashree Mukherjee was shifted on December 28 soon after Kejriwal took oath as Chief Minister. All those officials who have worked for over three years in a particular place have been transferred to a different place, a senior DJB official said. The transfer orders were issued on a day when three officials of the water distribution utility were suspended after a sting operation by a TV channel purportedly showed them taking bribe. However, senior officials claimed the aim of the transfers was to only improve efficiency. In its constant endeavour to shift its focus from being only an engineering-driven organization to being a cutting-edge service provider in the area of public utility, Delhi Jal Board is constantly making efforts to streamline its services and systems," said a DJB spokesperson. Sources said ensuring equitable distribution of water has been a priority area for the government and more steps are likely to be taken to improve water distribution. They said special focus is also being put on taking action against the tanker mafia in the city. The current average demand for potable water in Delhi is around 1,100 mgd (million gallons per day) and Delhi Jal Board supplies around 800 mgd water ater treating raw water in its treatment plants. The demand is projected to touch around 1,400 mgd by the end of the 12th Five-Year Plan in 2017. Delhi relies heavily on neighbouring states Haryana and Uttar Pradesh for the supply of raw water. The new government has promised to improve the water distribution and plug the leakages. Aam Aadmi Party had been voted to power in the national capital on a wave of promises, including providing 700 litres of free water per household. PTI