NEW DELHI: Non-governmental organisation, People's Action has demanded a 50 per cent reduction in power tariff in view of the recent admission of Delhi's Principal Secretary (Power), Rakesh Mehta, that financial losses from `theft' have been passed on to the honest consumers in the form of higher tariffs.

The note, People's Action said, has been circulated by Mr Mehta and categorically states that the high power tariffs in Delhi have been fixed to recover amounts lost due to theft; that there is close to 50 per cent theft in the city; and warns consumers that they will continue to pay more until theft reduces or stops.

Responding to the note, the general secretary D.K. Shandilya said: "We consider this a direct insult to every honest bill payer in Delhi. It is most atrocious of the Power Secretary to insinuate that every honest person in Delhi is liable for the theft committed by a section of society, most of whom enjoy political protection."

The convenor of People's Action, Ajay Jain, has also criticised the note. "Mr Mehta has already bowed to the exertions of private players in tandem with a pliant Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission under the gaze of the Power Minister. This troika has to understand that they cannot make innocent people pay for someone else's crime," he said.

The president of the group, Sanjay Kaul said, "We are being given to understand is that if there is a robbery in a neighbourhood, the neighbours will be asked to pay for the loot. Is this acceptable to anybody."

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