The Hindu : New Delhi News : Discrimination in power tariff hike: Vardhan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 14, 2007
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New Delhi

New Delhi

Discrimination in power tariff hike: Vardhan

Staff Reporter

No power tariff increase in NDMC areas for 6 years
“Discoms indulging in major manipulation”

NEW DELHI: Pointing out that there has been no power tariff increase in New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) areas over the past six years, Delhi BJP president Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday questioned the rationale behind repeated tariff hikes in the rest of the city. He urged Power Minister A. K. Walia to direct the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission not to raise the electricity charges again.

“The discoms have claimed that they have checked electricity theft in their areas. As such electricity rates should be decreased and there is no justification to increase the rates,” Dr. Vardhan said, adding that all the three discoms had again shown a big deficit in their Aggregate Revenue Requirement (ARR).

Stating that it was on the ground of ARR that the discoms wanted the electricity rates to be increased by another 15 per cent, the BJP leader charged that the discoms had prepared their ARR fictitiously.

“Major manipulations have been done in the maintenance, unnecessary purchase, deficit in power purchase, change of equipment, installation of new equipment and purchase of costly equipment. The discoms show deficit every time. The BJP leader said the power rates in Delhi had been increased four times and there was need to reduce them. Recalling that the Chief Minister had promised at the time of privatisation of electricity that the consumers in Delhi would get qualitative electricity at lower rates, Dr. Vardhan lamented that “all her promises have proved illusive”.

The BJP leader said Dr. Walia had announced recently that the ARRs of the discoms would be checked by the Comptroller and Auditory General, but he had not done this so far. “There is no reason why power rates should go up because there has been no increase in electricity rates in the NDMC area since 2001. The rates are lower in the NDMC area in comparison to others. When the rates in NDMC area are stable for last six years, there is no justification to increase power tariff in other areas.”

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