Controversy Erupts Over Tender for Cleaning Yamuna River Foam in Delhi
AAP raises concerns over tender process for cleaning Yamuna River foam, alleging irregularities before financial bids were opened.
New Delhi, October 21 (Daily Kiran) : Efforts to clean the Yamuna River and remove foam near Kalindi Kunj have sparked controversy over the Delhi Jal Board’s (DJB) tender process. Saurabh Bhardwaj, the Delhi state president of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has alleged that the financial bids for the tender related to foam removal have not yet been opened. Despite this, the contractor company, Icon Instruments, has reportedly arrived on-site with tents and equipment.
Bhardwaj has called into question the DJB’s operations, demanding an investigation into potential irregularities. He shared his concerns on social media, questioning how the company was allowed to prepare for work before the financial bids were disclosed. He suggested that this could indicate a pre-selection of the contractor, raising serious doubts about the transparency of the DJB’s tender process.
He also linked this issue to previous allegations of corruption within the Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) related to road construction. Bhardwaj pointed out that both the PWD and DJB fall under the jurisdiction of Minister Pravesh Verma. He challenged the minister on whether action would be taken against the officials involved or if whistleblowers would be targeted instead. He criticized attempts to seize the mobile phones of those reporting corruption.
Bhardwaj questioned whether the government would conduct a fair investigation into the allegations or adopt a confrontational approach towards complainants. The issue of white foam in the Yamuna has long been a concern, with government funds allocated for pollution reduction and foam removal. If the allegations of awarding work to a company before the financial bids were opened are confirmed, it could raise significant administrative issues.
