New Delhi, June 24: Maintaining tirade against Delhi's Congress government, opposition BJP today alleged power tariff was being collected "illegally" in unauthorised colonies in the capital in connivance with the city government resulting in loss of hundreds of crores of rupees. Delhi BJP president Madan Lal Khurana took a party delegation to police commissioner R S Gupta this morning and sought action against about 1,000 government appointed private contractors, charging that they were "openly looting poor people" in connivance with the city government.

He alleged at a press conference later that the ruling Congress was intending to use these contractors and the "hundreds of crores of rupees collected but not deposited" to influence the upcoming assembly elections in Delhi.

Khurana said that he had handed over to Gupta a bunch of 526 firs and complaints lodged by the aggrieved people at various police stations across Delhi and sought protection for the complainants, charging that they were being threatened by the contractors.
He also plans to approach Union Power Minister Ananth Geete and Central BJP leadership over the issue.
"Although 526 firs and complaints have been filed by aggrieved people, police has taken no action," the BJP leader said inferring collusion of the cops at lower level.

"These contractors include several persons with criminal background and active congress workers, some of them being relatives of the Congress MLAs and councillors," he said.

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit is "watching silently the looting of the poor people although she claims to be their sympathiser," he added.
Bureau Report