The Hindu : New Delhi News : RWAs oppose move to cut power in theft-prone areas

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Friday, Dec 08, 2006
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New Delhi

RWAs oppose move to cut power in theft-prone areas

Staff Reporter

A devious attempt to penalise honest consumers, allege associations

NEW DELHI: Various residents' welfare associations (RWAs) have strongly opposed the move by the Capital's private power distribution companies to resort to power cuts in areas that have higher incidents of theft and damned it as another attempt to penalise honest consumers.

"That an honest man in an area where the local discom has not been able to carry out its required mandate to curb power theft will pay for the inefficiency of the discosms is atrocious and unacceptable. It is downright insulting to the majority of Delhi residents and simply a product of a devious mind," said People's Action president Sanjay Kaul.

The RWAs are livid over such reports. "Who has assigned Union Power Secretary R.V. Shahi the right to dispense tribal justice," asked Rajiv Jain of Vasant Kunj RWA, one of the colonies reportedly on the list to undergo such cuts. "Is it not enough that Delhi's Principal Secretary (Power) Rakesh Mehta has made no bones about the fact that the current tariff plan already encapsulates a theft charge that is recovered from honest consumers to pay for dishonest ones," he asked.

Mr. Kaul said this suggestion could not withstand the scrutiny of any basic law of natural justice. "If Mr. Shahi has indeed made these comments, I am afraid the power sector is not in safe hands," he remarked.

Delhi's largest RWA collective, United Residents' Joint Action (URJA), has called an urgent meeting of its zonal representatives to discuss plans for opposing this proposal. The discoms won lucrative contracts on the condition that they would reduce power losses. "That they have not been able to do it is a telling indication of their inefficiency and failure to match up to the agreement. That should be a reason enough to terminate their contracts, not inflict punishment on honest consumers," said East Delhi URJA coordinator Rajesh Dokwal.

"We will consider every action possible to thwart this proposal. The discoms cannot be allowed to bully people ," said West Delhi URJA coordinator Atul Goyal.

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