India News | Ex-DJB Consultant's Presence in Meetings: Delhi Govt's Vigilance Directorate Refers Matter to ACB

New Delhi, Apr 22 (PTI) The Delhi government's Directorate of Vigilance on Monday referred the matter of a former DJB consultant allegedly issuing instructions to officers despite his removal from the post to the Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) for investigation, officials said.

The AAP government in Delhi termed the action "witch-hunting".

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In a letter to the ACB joint commissioner, the Directorate of Vigilance cited a report by the Delhi Jal Board's chief vigilance officer which stated that former DJB consultant (hydraulics and water bodies) Ankit Srivastava was engaged with the Board's approval.

The directorate claimed Srivastava was engaged without the approval of the lieutenant governor (LG).

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The DJB report said that after a Services Department order, Srivastava's engagement was ended on July 24, 2023. But he continued to remain in an official WhatsApp group of the DJB and left it on October 5, 2023, it said.

The consultant "actively participated" in meetings and the DJB WhatsApp group, and was giving instructions on specific issues to various senior officers, the report said.

"Such kind of activities by a private person even after he was removed, pose a serious threat and amount to nothing but compromising safety, security and integrity of Delhi Jal Board," the Directorate of Vigilance said in its letter.

The directorate said that as per the directions of the LG, the matter was referred to the ACB to examine it holistically, ascertain the former consultant's role in "influencing" the DJB's decisions and take necessary action.

The directorate pointed out that various matters related to the DJB are being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The AAP government rejected the allegations.

In a statement, the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led government charged that all secretaries, officers on special duty, advisors and consultants appointed by it are being "constantly hounded to force them to stop working" for the welfare of the people.

It alleged that the BJP-led central government is "witch-hunting" professionals for "political reasons" and to "paralyse" governance in Delhi.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)