Delhi Jal Board, which is also headed by Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, decided to transfer 800 officials in its water emergencies and water filling points.

Termed as one of the “biggest reshuffles” in the history of the organization, the move came shortly after DJB set up a task force to crack down on tanker mafia.

The decision was taken by the new CEO, Vijay Kumar, who was brought in specially by Kejriwalshortly after he took oath.

“The transferred officials have been working across 25 water emergencies and water filling points and the decision to move them from this department was taken to reduce the possibility of corruption. Any employee who has worked for more than three years in the department is supposed to be transferred but the rule was hardly implemented,” said a source.

All those who have been transferred had been working in the department for over three years. Sources said that public interface in this department was huge and it was “easy to succumb to influence”. “Whenever we tried to transfer people, senior officials were put under massive pressure to stop transfers. Calls have even been received to stop transfer of beldars,” said the source.

The tanker task force, headed by the additional CEO of DJB, has been tracking DJB tankers across the city to verify if they have been selling water instead of distributing it free. Officials said some discrepancies had been observed and action would be taken against defaulters.