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High Court notices over power privatisation

Staff Reporter

Delhi Government, DERC, discoms, CBI asked to file replies by May 2

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the Delhi Government, the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC), power distribution companies here and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on a public interest litigation challenging the privatisation of the power distribution network in the Capital in 2002.

A Division Bench comprising Justice Vijender Jain and Justice S.N. Aggarwal directed the respondents to file their replies by May 2.

The petitioner, Jan Sehyog Manch, a non-government organisation, urged the Court to direct the Delhi Government to submit to the Court the entire records connected with the restructuring of erstwhile Delhi Vidyut Board (DVB) and the privatisation of power distribution in the Capital.

The petitioner also urged the Court to direct CBI to investigate and fix responsibility of persons or authorities concerned for causing huge losses to the exchequer and undue benefit, gain and favour to power distribution companies -- BSES Rajdhani Power Limited, BSES Yamuna Power Limited and North Delhi Power Limited -- and thereafter take action against the erring persons or authorities.

In its third prayer, the organisation submitted that DERC be directed to discharge its duties in accordance with the Electricity Act, 2003.

The petitioner alleged that DVB was privatised in undue haste and nothing had been done to unearth `the fraud' allegedly committed by the respondents, despite questioning of the entire privatisation process by the Comptroller and Auditor-General and the Public Accounts Committee of the Delhi Assembly.

The petitioner accused the Delhi Government of violating the laid down norms in the appointment of SBI Caps Limited as a consultant to facilitate the privatisation process and thereby caused huge losses to the exchequer.

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