New Delhi: Accusing Delhi government of being
"hand-in-glove" with power distribution companies for
favouring hike in power tariffs, BJP today demanded a CBI
probe into the issue and 20 per cent reduction in prevailing
rates.
Delhi government on May 4 had forced Delhi Electricity
Regulatory Commission (DERC) not to announce the tariff order
apparently coming under pressure from the three private power
distribution companies which had complained that their demand
for increasing power tariff has not been considered by the
regulator while finalising the new tariff structure.
"It is a planned and concerted effort to loot the
hard-earned money of Delhiites to ensure undue profit for the
private electric partners," city BJP President Vijendra Gupta
told reporters here.
The DERC, which was making last minute preparations to
announce the new tariff for the year 2010-11, after receiving
the government directive had indicated that it had planned to
cut down the tariff by 20 to 25 per cent as discoms would have
a surplus of around Rs 4,000 crore if the existing tariff was
not tinkered with.
The government had issued the directive to the DERC
exercising a special power under the Delhi Electricity Act.
Demanding a CBI inquiry into the matter, Gupta said the
data available on the DERC website proved that the discoms
have earned a surplus of over a thousand crore in the previous
fiscal and that there was no justification for an increase in
tariff.
"The data available on the DERC website says BSES Yamuna
and BSES Rajdhani made over Rs 157.32 crore and Rs 319 crore
profit respectively. Where is the loss that they are demanding
a hike?," he said.
He said the government was helping power companies "loot
people".
"Else, why would it have invoked the electricity Act and
intervene when the power regulator DERC was about to announce
tariffs?," he asked.
Gupta also slammed the government for transferring power
secretary Rajendra Kumar to MCD.
"Why was the power secretary transferred all of a
sudden?," he said.
Last week DERC, hardening its position on the issue, had
shot off letters to all three private discoms rejecting
point-by-point all their arguments demanding an increasing in
the rates.
PTI
