Will waive increased water bills if AAP wins: Arvind Kejriwal makes poll promises

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal made a fresh promise to the people of Delhi, vowing that his party would cancel inflated water bills if they are re-elected in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, which are expected next month.

During a press conference, Kejriwal urged Delhi residents to refrain from paying inflated water bills and highlighted that 12 lakh families had received zero-amount bills. He also reminded the public that the AAP government provides 20,000 liters of free water to households across Delhi.

Attacking the BJP, Kejriwal said, "Our government in Delhi has been providing free water to people for the last 10 years. More than 12 lakh families got zero water bills. But after I went to jail, I don't know what these people did. They did something wrong and people started getting water bills of thousands and lakhs of rupees every month."

"I want to publicly and officially announce that those who think their bills are wrong need not pay their water bills, they should wait. AAP will form the government after the elections and we will get their wrong bills waived. This is my promise to all the people. This is my guarantee," he said.

In February of the previous year, Kejriwal met with residents of Govindpuri in southeast Delhi who had complained about inflated water bills, assuring them that the matter would be addressed promptly. He even tore one of the bills during the meeting and promised that his government would introduce a scheme for a one-time settlement of water bills.

Kejriwal revealed that approximately 11 lakh families in the city had faced inflated bills and reiterated his commitment to waiving them.

During today’s press conference, Kejriwal was asked about a group of women from Punjab protesting outside his residence, alleging that the AAP government in Punjab had not fulfilled its promises. He responded by stating that the women were affiliated with Congress and BJP.

He took a jab at the two parties, suggesting they should formally announce their alliance for the Delhi Assembly elections. "Those women belong to their (Congress and BJP) party. They have not come from Punjab. The women in Punjab are with us. They have faith in AAP. Congress and BJP should officially announce that they are contesting elections together against AAP in Delhi," Kejriwal said.

He also emphasized that Congress was no longer taken seriously, adding that both AAP and Congress, despite being allies in the INDIA bloc, were contesting the Delhi elections separately.

The two parties had contested the Delhi Lok Sabha elections last year, but neither Congress nor AAP won any seats. The BJP dominated the elections, winning all seven seats.

BJP ACCUSES KEJRIWAL OF 'LYING'

In response to Kejriwal's announcement, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva accused the AAP leader of lying, claiming that Delhi was experiencing irregular water supply. He said, “There is no water supply in Delhi, and even when it’s supplied, it is dirty. A family in Janakpuri received a bill of Rs 10 lakh. Even before the MCD elections, the AAP government had promised to address inflated water bills, but they haven’t done so.”

Sachdeva further alleged that Kejriwal was in cahoots with the tanker mafia and questioned why the AAP government hadn’t waived the inflated bills before the model code of conduct came into effect.

PREVIOUS FREEBIES ANNOUNCED

As the Delhi elections approach, Kejriwal has been announcing various welfare schemes to appeal to voters. AAP, which has held power since 2015, is seeking a third consecutive term in the capital.

On December 30, the former Delhi Chief Minister promised a monthly salary of Rs 18,000 for priests at temples and granthis at gurudwaras if AAP is re-elected.

Additionally, he introduced the Sanjeevani Scheme for senior citizens and the Mahila Samman Yojana for women. The Sanjeevani Scheme promises free healthcare for citizens aged 60 and above, while the Mahila Samman Yojana offers Rs 2,100 in monthly financial assistance to women.