Rajwanti was one of the initial supporters of the Arvind Kejriwal-led “civil disobedience” movement against “inflated” power bills. A resident of Sundar Nagri, in North-East Delhi, which was the venue of Mr. Kejriwal’s fast on the issue, she stopped paying her bills from April 2013 and has not paid the bills which amount to over Rs. 8,000.
Rajwanti is one of the 24,036 people who will benefit by the Aam Aadmi Party Government’s decision on Wednesday, to provide 50 per cent waiver on their pending bills and on any penalty to those who did not pay their bills during the period of agitation against “inflated” power charges between October 2012 and April 2013.
By providing the relief, the AAP government fulfilled yet another promise though not fully. The party had promised hundred per cent waiver in their election manifesto. The decision was approved by the Delhi Cabinet on Wednesday. The government is expected to suffer an estimated loss of Rs. 6 crore on providing such a relief.
“My pending bill runs in thousands which I could not have paid with my meagre monthly income. I along with thousands of people in Seemapuri Assembly constituency, were waiting for the decision,” Rajwanti told The Hindu on the phone.
Announcing the decision Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia said: “The Delhi Government has decided to give a 50 per cent waiver to those who did not pay their bills from October 2012 to April 2013 and who continued to not pay till December as part of the agitation. Any penalty on the bills will also be waived off.”
While the AAP supporters cheered the move, Delhi government officials as well as officials from power distribution companies asserted that the government waiver without distinguishing the usual defaulters from the agitators will end up helping the “corrupt” consumer.
Ministry of Power has asked the power distribution companies to provide them the list of the consumers who did not pay their bills during the stipulated period.
A power department official on condition of anonymity told The Hindu : “Ideally the government should first make a distinction between the traditional defaulters and those consumers who did not pay their power bills as part of the agitation against inflated power bill. The move will actually end up benefitting the corrupt consumers and will discourage people from paying their bills. The decision was passed by the Delhi Cabinet and we do not have any option but to implement it.”
