Delhi : Lt Governor orders inquiry into power subsidy of Kejriwal government
The LG vs AAP fight has deepened in the national capital Delhi. Lieutenant Governor Vinay Kumar Saxena has ordered an inquiry into the power subsidy scheme of the Arvind Kejriwal government. Earlier, in the matter of alcohol and education also, the Lieutenant Governor has set up an inquiry. In the latest case, LG Vinay Kumar Saxena has asked the Chief Secretary to investigate the allegations, according to which irregularities have been done in the payment of subsidy amount to the power distribution companies. The LG has sought a report from the Chief Secretary within 7 days.
What is the charge?
The Lieutenant Governor has asked the Chief Secretary to investigate the matter that when in 2018 the DERC i.e. Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission had asked the Delhi Government to consider transferring the subsidy given on electricity to DBT i.e. directly into the bank accounts of the consumers. As is being done in the case of LPG, then why has it not been implemented so far? Eminent lawyers, jurists and law professionals have alleged that this is the strongest case of corruption.
According to the Lieutenant Governor, his secretariat has received a complaint of a big scam in this matter. According to the allegation, Jasmine Shah, spokesperson of Aam Aadmi Party and Vice-Chairman of Dialogue and Development Commission, Naveen Gupta, son of Aam Aadmi Party MP ND Gupta… Both of them were made directors in BRPL and BYPL and they committed a big scam. These discom companies belong to the Anil Ambani Group, in which the Delhi government is a 49% stakeholder.
It is alleged that the Delhi government had to recover Rs 21,250 crore from the defaulting vendor DISCOM (BRPL, BYPL) (in the name of late payment for power purchase) but the government settled Rs 11,550 crore under a deal (because a On the other hand, the Delhi government had to take money from the discoms, while the subsidy money was also to be given to the discoms). At the same time, it has also been mentioned in this letter that the third company is Tata Power, which did not have any dues i.e. it has been given a clean chit.
DISCOM continued to levy 18% surcharge on late payment from the consumer and 12% to the government, resulting in windfall gains of Rs 8500 crore to the power distribution companies at the cost of the exchequer.
It is alleged that the government violated its own cabinet decision of 2015-16 in which it was asked to audit BRPL and BYPL every year. It is also alleged that even the settlement of Rs 11,500 crore was not audited. In the matter of giving power subsidy to consumers, the DBT scheme was stopped while in 2018 contrary to the order of Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission. This was done so that the actual number of beneficiaries could be hidden and commission could be taken from them by paying money to DISCOMS.
It has also been alleged in the complaint that earlier senior officers of the Delhi government used to be directors in power distribution companies, but political people were made directors in the Aam Aadmi Party government.
In Delhi, up to 200 units of free electricity is being given to the residents of Delhi by the Aam Aadmi Party government. Consumers currently do not have to pay any bills up to 200 units, while consumption of 201 to 400 units of electricity per month gets a subsidy of Rs 800. Due to this, people from the economically weaker sections are getting great relief. Along with this, the people of the middle class are also getting its benefit.
The government has made changes in this subsidy scheme from 1 October 2022. According to the new order, now the subsidy will be given only to those people who will demand it. That is, now cheap electricity has become optional in Delhi. That is, if a power consumer wants electricity subsidy, then he will get subsidized free or subsidized electricity as of now.
