High Court Asks Delhi Government To Respond To Plea For Audit Of Water Board Accounts

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought response of the Delhi government and Delhi Jal Board on a plea seeking direction to Comptroller and Auditor General to audit the accounts of DJB whose financial audit has allegedly not been carried out for last six years.

A bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh issued notice to the Delhi government, DJB and Comptroller and Auditor General or CAG on the petition and listed the matter for further hearing on October 4.

The petition by Delhi BJP leader Harish Khurana, sought direction to DJB to maintain proper accounts and other relevant records and prepare an annual statement of the profit and loss with proper the balance sheets from 2015 onwards as prescribed under the law and to direct CAG to conduct audit of the board.

The petition, through advocate Samridhi Arora, said that in response to the RTIs of May 11, May 24 and July 22 this year, it has been clearly stated that the copy of balance sheet for the year 2015-16 and onward is under preparation.

Senior Advocate Sanjoy Ghose, appearing for DJB, contended that the plea has been filed by an office-bearer of the rival party with political motives and submitted that the auditing was going on.

Advocate Gaurang Kanth, representing CAG, submitted that after 2015 no record was served so currently no auditing is going.

The plea said since the authorities have failed to perform the functions laid down under the law, the petitioner was approaching the court with the petition.

"It is mandatory to maintain financial accounts and conduct an annual audit of the accounts, in order to ascertain effective functioning of the state and local bodies. Maintaining financial accounts and conducting an annual audit of the accounts, help to secure accountability, transparency of the state and local bodies functioning towards the general public," the plea said.
 

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