The Hindu : New Delhi News : BJP criticises power purchase from Himachal at high rates

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Wednesday, Aug 01, 2007
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New Delhi

BJP criticises power purchase from Himachal at high rates

Staff Reporter

It is an anti-people, arbitrary agreement: Harsh Vardhan

NEW DELHI: Delhi BJP president Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday criticised the purchase of power at high rates from the Himachal Pradesh Government and declared that his party would not let the power consumers suffer as a result of this “anti-people and arbitrary” agreement. “If the power tariff is increased then the BJP will protest against it,” he warned.

Stating that the Delhi Energy Procurement Group constituted by the Delhi Government had entered into an agreement with the Himachal Pradesh Government to purchase 450 MW of power at Rs. 7.29 per unit on the pretext of supplying uninterrupted power in the Capital, Dr. Vardhan said it was quite surprising that representatives of the Delhi Government agreed in writing that even if the city would not require 450 MW power from Himachal it would still pay at the rate of Rs. 7.29 per unit to the Himachal Government. “On this basis,” he said, “BSES has made a claim to the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission that it had to purchase power from Himachal Pradesh at the rate of Rs. 7.29 per unit even when it did not require power. This surplus power was sold to the other States at the rate of Rs. 3 to Rs. 4 per unit only. Due to this it had suffered a loss of Rs. 116 crore per month. Hence BSES demanded that it be allowed to increase the power tariff immediately.”

Dr. Vardhan charged that the agreement had let to loot of public money and demanded that those responsible be punished for it. Charging that the fourth power tariff increase is likely to take place in December this year, Dr. Vardhan said the discoms were not even willing to wait till then.

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