The Hindu : New Delhi News : BJP to hit the streets if power tariffs go up

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Tuesday, Dec 25, 2007
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New Delhi

BJP to hit the streets if power tariffs go up

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party president Harsh Vardhan on Monday warned the Delhi Government and the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission that if they increase the power tariffs in the New Year the party would come out on the Capital’s streets to protest.

Distribution companies

Noting that even after five and a half years of power privatisation and three increases in power tariffs, the private power distribution companies had still not been able to perform satisfactorily, the BJP leader charged that “all their efforts are only aimed at economic exploitation of the consumers”.

Dr. Vardhan said the Delhi Government and DERC were helping the power companies in their designs.

He said preparations were being made to increase the power tariff again. Despite the residents’ welfare associations opposing implementation of multi-year tariff scheme, he said, the DERC was working towards another power tariff hike.

“Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit is claiming that the power theft has come down to 30 per cent to 22 per cent. Earlier it was more than 50 per cent. If power theft has been curbed, then revenue must have increased. In this situation the power tariff should be decreased,” he reasoned.

Dichotomy

Pointing to another dichotomy, Dr. Vardhan said while load-shedding was continuing in some parts of the Capital even today, the discoms were benefiting by selling power meant for consumption in Delhi to other States.

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