The Hindu : New Delhi News : Govt. playing into the hands of discoms, alleges BJP

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Monday, Aug 13, 2007
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New Delhi

Govt. playing into the hands of discoms, alleges BJP

Staff Reporter

‘Delhi Government claim on cheap power wrong, deceptive’

NEW DELHI: The Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Jagdish Mukhi, has charged the Delhi Government with playing into the hands of the private power distribution companies and defending the power tariff hike being sought by them by making a “wrong and deceptive” claim that Delhi was being provided the cheapest electricity in the country.

Prof. Mukhi said it was shameful that the Government was openly advocating the cause of the discoms at a time when the Delhi High Court has passed strong strictures against privatisation of the erstwhile Delhi Vidyut Board.

He said a comparison of the power rates in Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi clearly shows that the rates being charged by the discoms in Delhi were the highest. In domestic consumption up to a sanctioned load of 2 kW, he said for consumption of 100 units the rate in Chennai was Rs.195, in Mumbai it was Rs.98 in the BEST areas while in Delhi it was Rs.264. Likewise, for 300 units these rates were Rs.895, Rs.554 and Rs.894 respectively.

On a sanctioned load of between 2 kW and 5 kW, he said the rate in these three areas for 200 units was Rs.545 in Chennai, Rs.336 in Mumbai (BEST) and Rs.540 in Delhi, while on consumption of 400 units of power the rate was Rs.1,370, Rs.991 and Rs.1,320 respectively.

The BJP leader said the comparison proved that the rates of electricity are lowest in those areas of Mumbai where BEST supplies the power, while the discoms in Delhi are charging exorbitant rates.

“The actual bills further get increased by two and a half times due to the installation of fast running electronic meters in Delhi,” he claimed, demanding that the rates of electricity be reduced in the city.

Stating that Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has claimed a 20 per cent reduction in electricity theft, Prof. Mukhi said as with every 1 per cent reduction, the discoms save nearly Rs.90 crore, it means that they have been saving Rs.1,800 crore annually over and above their projected revenue. But still, he said, rather than reducing the tariff, they are clamouring for a tariff hike.

“The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission should take all the facts and logics into consideration, reject all the fictitious and manipulated figures presented by the discoms, and order a reduction in the power tariff in Delhi,” the senior BJP leader demanded.

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