Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vijay Jolly has criticised the Delhi Government for stalling the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission's tariff reduction order.
In a statement, Mr. Jolly said the State Government seems to be tinkering with the electricity tariff rules even as the private power distribution companies are blackmailing the citizens of the Capital with their veiled threats.
“This amounts to interference in the functioning of DERC and breach of public confidence. The DERC is a statutory independent body and is empowered to decide tariff increase or decrease. It has the final say on tariff determination after considering the pleas of the power consumers and the discoms. The Delhi Government has no role in tariff determination and cannot stall the DERC new tariff order. It can only delay the tariff order.”
Accusing the Sheila Dikshit Government of acting at the behest of private power distribution companies, Mr. Jolly said the citizens of Delhi would be forced to pay the current tariff for one more year rather than the proposed 20 per cent tariff reduction. “With 49 per cent share holding, the State Government is an equal shareholder along with the private power companies. The recent order of the Government directing the DERC not to declare the new tariff rates is nothing but extending support to the profit-making discoms.”
The BJP leader said after eight years of privatisation of power in Delhi, the discoms were behaving like trading companies. “The discoms state that Delhi has surplus power. The BSES Yamuna, BSES Rajdhani and NDPL have declared a profit of Rs.1,200 crore as per the audited accounts of 2009-10 but they are still threatening the citizens of Delhi with future power cuts in case their demand for upward revision power tariff is not accepted. This is totally unjust, unfair and not in public interest.”
Stating that the Delhi Government should stop acting as the spokesperson of the private power distribution companies, Mr. Jolly said the State Government seems supportive of their demand despite the DERC decision to reduce power rates.
Keywords: Power tariff issue
