Questions are being raised about the process Delhi Jal Board (DJB) adopted to award the contract of handling its social media account to a Gurugram-based company called Vermillion Communications. The issue took centre stage after public comments on X posts made by the DJB were disabled sometime in December 2025, almost simultaneous to the time when the social media handling contract was awarded.
After the DJB disabled comments on its X account, residents can no longer post complaints publicly under the agency’s posts. Earlier, consumers regularly used the platform to report issues such as sewage overflow, water shortage, faulty meters and inflated bills, often receiving replies from the department regarding action taken on their grievances.
The comments section on the account was disabled around December 2025, shortly after DJB awarded a Rs 1.85 crore contract to Gurugram-based Vermillion Communications Private Limited for handling its social media operations for three years.
According to an RTI reply accessed by activist Neeraj Sharma, the agency was assigned the responsibility of managing DJB’s social media platforms, including addressing complaints received online. The reply also stated that the empanelment process was carried out under administrative directions.
However, questions are now being raised over both the disabling of comments and the process through which the agency was selected. Sources in DJB told The Tribune that an earlier public tender process for empanelment was cancelled after officials felt the participating agencies lacked visibility and established work profiles.
Sources said invitations were later sent through email to around 30 to 35 agencies empanelled with the Central Bureau of Communication (CBC). Out of them, eight agencies responded and three were shortlisted for presentations before Vermillion Communications was selected. Officials and activists questioning the process pointed out that no public circular or office order related to the revised selection procedure could be found in the public domain.
Apart from grievance handling, the agency was also tasked with promoting DJB schemes and initiatives on social media, carrying out perception analysis regarding the department’s public image, preparing educational and awareness content and drafting press releases. Since taking over the account, the agency has run promotional posts related to DJB’s late payment surcharge waiver scheme, which offers waiver on penalties on pending water bills.
Vermillion Communications has previously handled advertising campaigns during the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections and was also among agencies shortlisted for the Union Government’s publicity campaign ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
