NEW DELHI: The Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Jagdish Mukhi, on Monday urged the Lieutenant-Governor, B.L. Joshi, to honour the will of the House and send the report of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) headed by senior Congress leader S.C. Vats to Central Bureau of Investigation for a probe into the privatisation of the power distribution network in the Capital.

Addressing a press conference, Mr. Mukhi said he had written to Mr. Joshi stating that the Delhi Assembly had unanimously passed the Vats Committee report recommending a CBI probe into the privatisation of power and the alleged dubious role of the Core Committee members comprising senior bureaucrats that had negotiated the power privatisation process.

PAC report

He said the PAC had cast serious aspersions on the role and conduct of these officials and even pointed to "monetary benefits" having influenced the decision-making process to benefit big business houses. The entire report was adopted unanimously with even Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Power Minister Haroon Yusuf being part of the proceedings and giving their nod for the CBI probe.

Mr. Mukhi said it had been months since the House sent its recommendation on the issue and requested the Lieutenant-Governor to implement the recommendations of the PAC and the will of the House. "It is a matter of regret that the directions of the Delhi Assembly have not been implemented yet. Nor have the representations sent by the BJP on the issue been acknowledged by Raj Nivas," he said.

"I have written more than half a dozen letters and representations to Mr. Joshi regarding the undue advantage and favours given to private power distribution companies by changing the terms and conditions of privatisation. The terms and conditions were changed even without the consent of the competent authority. The Comptroller and Auditor-General has already pointed to a scam involving Rs. 8,500 crores in the whole process and the PAC has only put its stamp of approval on the whole bungling that took place in selling the erstwhile Delhi Vidyut Board. Mr. Joshi has failed to even reply to our representations."

Action taken

The PAC had recommended not only a CBI probe but also placing on the table of the House the action taken report within three months. "The Lieutenant-Governor is bound to abide by the unanimous decision of the Assembly. The MLAs and the people of Delhi have the right to know what has been done to set the situation right and take action in the corruption involved in this case,'' Mr. Mukhi added.

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