Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday announced that as part of the strategy of his “civil disobedience movement” from April 6, the AAP supporters will start restoring the power connections of the households where the connections were discontinued by the power discoms on account of non-payment of bills.
“Even though around 9 lakh people have supported my campaign against high power bills,” said Mr. Kejriwal, apparently looking weak after 11 days of fast, “the fear of disconnection of power-water supply has not been fully erased from their minds and hearts. The fear will be erased once we will restore the connections of households where connections were cut by discoms.”
Addressing the gathering in Sunder Nagri, the venue of his fast, Mr. Kejriwal said: “April 6, 1930, me Gandhiji ne namak kanoon toda tha, unhi se prerna leke maine ye asehyog aandolan shuru kiya . (It was on April 6, 1930, that Mahatma Gandhi had broken the salt law. Taking inspiration from him, I have also started the civil disobedience movement),” he said.
The protégé of Anna Hazare said while so far he had been carrying out the signature campaign, the movement would be taken forward from April 6. “ MainDelhiki janta se appeal karta hun ki puriDelhime jaha jaha domestic connections kate hai, karyakarta ek ek gali me jaaye aur connections jode .” (I appeal to the people of Delhi that wherever the domestic connections have been cut, the activists should go and rejoin them).
He asked the AAP volunteers to create a list of all those households whose electricity supply has been disconnected by the discoms and to intensify the campaign by reconnecting them.
Mr. Kejriwal, whose indefinite fast against corruption in the power sector entered the 12th day, also lapped up the CAG report tabled in the Delhi Assembly on Tuesday, stating that it was “not just the CAG report but the agony of common people of Delhi.”
While addressing his supporters, he said that the report had “exposed” the tall claims that Delhi Government had been making regarding development.
“The CAG report on performance of Delhi Government has brought to the front the inefficiency and corruption in managing all the essential services including health, water, housing and security. There is hardly any department, which has remained untouched by corruption and commission raj,” he said, adding that the report highlighted the “insensitivity” of Delhi Government towards its citizens.
“Significant increase in cost of implementation of programs has also manifested in multiple increase in the cost of electricity and water bills. The CAG report clearly states that Delhi Transco has given undue advantage to private discoms. Even water is a scarce commodity in the Capital with almost one fourth of Delhi is dependent on tanker supply,” he alleged.
