Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal today approved the portfolio reshuffle in the Arvind Kejriwal-led government.

With this, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal now takes over the Water Resources department and will be the chairperson of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB).

Since the last week, Delhi’s political corridors were abuzz with speculations that Chief

The portfolio was earlier with Kapil Mishra, who was sacked as the Water Resources Minister as the Aam Aadmi Party felt he could not tackle the water crisis in the city ahead of the crucial MCD polls, and the cost the party an embarrassing loss in the election.

Subsequently, Rajendra Pal Gautam was given the charge of the water department, and alleged that he was being “bypassed” by top DJB officials in decision-making.

AAP WANTS TO FOCUS ON WATER

Those in the know of the developments said that when Arvind Kejriwal met supporters in Bawana, where the AAP recently won the by-poll, he received complaints on water and sewage problems.

Water, health and electricity are three main issues on which Aam Aadmi rode to power in 2015. While the party feels that its performance in the departments of health and electricity has been satisfactory, water and sewage are the areas where the AAP needs to focus more.

With Kejriwal now handling the water department and the DJB, it will help the Delhi Chief Minister monitor issues related to water and sewerage.

The Delhi Chief Minister wants to speed up the work on addressing sewage and water problems in the city in the wake of deaths of sewage workers this monsoon.

During his second stint as Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal had decided to not handle any portfolio and instead perform a ‘supervisory’ role and be a mediator between people and the government departments.

However, this decision earned Arvind Kejriwal criticism from many corners, with some alleging the chief minister did not work. By taking over the water resources department, Kejriwal, many suggest, is also trying for an image change and project himself as an able administrator who can possibly sort the Delhi Jal Board mess.