In a recent development, Delhi's Water Minister, Saurabh Bhardwaj, has leveled serious allegations against Lieutenant Governor (LG) V K Saxena, accusing him of taking undue credit for the efforts of the Kejriwal government in cleaning the Yamuna river. Bhardwaj dismissed the claims made by the LG's office as "misleading and baseless."

The controversy arose after the LG Secretariat issued a press release claiming a significant reduction in the biological oxygen demand (BOD) levels in the Najafgarh drain, which accounts for around 70 percent of wastewater discharge into the Yamuna. The reduction was attributed to the intervention of a high-level committee headed by Saxena.

Challenging the LG's claims, Water Minister Bhardwaj demanded evidence of any new projects or initiatives initiated by Saxena before taking credit for the government's work. Bhardwaj emphasized that the progress made in cleaning the Yamuna was a direct result of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's six-point action plan, announced in November 2021.

Furthermore, Bhardwaj refuted the LG's office claims, highlighting that the LG does not possess the financial authority to approve projects within the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) or the Irrigation and Flood Control Department (IFC). He accused the LG's office of presenting false minutes of meetings and misleadingly claiming them as the sole achievements of the LG.

The Water Minister also took the opportunity to underscore the achievements of the DJB, including the successful connection of jhuggi-jhopri clusters to the sewer network, efficient tapping and diversion of drains, desilting of trunk sewers, provision of house service connections, and upgrades to sewage treatment plants.

This dispute is rooted in the ongoing jurisdictional disagreement between the LG and the Delhi government. As per the Constitution, matters related to land, law and order, and police fall under the LG's jurisdiction, while other areas are within the purview of the Delhi government. The Supreme Court recently issued an order placing the services department under the control of the Delhi government, but the Centre later issued an ordinance granting the LG control over the bureaucracy in the national capital.

(With PTI Inputs)