BJP to launch stir against water, power shortage

New Delhi, Mar 14 (UNI) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will soon start a '' public movement'' against the ''failure'' of the Delhi government to provide adequate power and water to people.

BJP State unit president Dr Harsh Vardhan said here, while one third of the Capital's population is facing acute shortage of water due to Haryana's non-cooperation, the Prime Minister was maintaning a silence on the issue .

''The Haryana government -- also led by Congress -- is not heeding to the repeated requests of Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit and the Prime Minister is keeping mum,'' he alleged.

''While Ms Dikshit has completed ten years in the office, her government has failed to fulfil the basic needs of water and power for Delhiites ,'' he said, adding that people were being forced to buy drinking water from ''water mafia.'' He also blamed the State power minister Ashok Walia for failing to tighten noose around private power companies. ''His warnings of penalties and cancellation of licences have had no effect on the private companies, who that continue to make profit without fulfilling their duty,'' he added.

Meanwhile, MLA and general secretary of the BJP Vidhayak Dal in State Assembly Karan Singh Tanwar broke his 72-hour-long hunger strike before the Delhi Cantonment Board office here following assurances that Cantonment Board elections would be held shortly.

Mr Tanwar had claimed that the elections were being deferred for the past many years to allow certain elements to maintain monopoly in the board.

UNI NAB GT HT1928