New Delhi, Sept 04: Flaying Delhi BJP chief M L Khurana for making "defamatory and baseless" corruption charges against her, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today served him with a legal notice demanding a public apology and payment of Rs 101 towards damages within three days. Reacting strongly to Khurana's charges that she had received funds for election purposes from the private power companies in lieu of releasing central funds to them, Dikshit said "it is a deliberate attempt to malign my reputation. I demand that he (Khurana) reveal his source from where he has got this kind of information....It is a limit, he levels allegations without an iota of proof."
"Khurana has been repeatedly raising issues about the privatisation process. The privatisation process had been examined by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC)," she said.
However, she admitted that there was an error in the sanctioned order issued by the Ministry of Home which was main cause of delay in payment to power companies.
Demanding a public apology to be carried in all the main line newspapers and TV channels within three days, the notice said "failing which my client (Dikshit) will be constrained to initiate appropriate legal action, civil and criminal against you (Khurana)."
Dikshit asserted that the Delhi government was only a "conduit" between the Centre and the discoms (distribution power companies) to release the money under the accelerated power development and reforms programme.
"In view of the allegations, I could even withhold the release and write to the Department of Power of central government suggesting that they release the money directly to discoms (distribution companies), or if they prefer they may release it through Khurana," she said.
Power secretary Jagdish Sagar, however, clarified that due to a "clerical mistake" in the Home Ministry the loan-grant ratio was shown as 70:30 instead of 50:50.
Khurana yesterday had accused Dikshit of receiving funds for election purposes from the private power companies in lieu of releasing the central funds to them.
Demanding a CBI inquiry into the matter, Khurana, in a letter to Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, said, "I have the information that in consideration of the first installment of Rs 105 crore given to private companies from the sanctioned amount of Rs 500 crore, Dikshit has received Rs 15 crore for election fund." Bureau Report