BJP Alleges Financial Irregularities in Power Discoms, Seeks CAG Audit
New Delhi: The BJP on Thursday demanded a CAG audit of the accounts of two discoms in which the Delhi government has stakes while alleging "massive financial irregularities" leading to operational losses.The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) hit back stating it was the BJP's pre-set agenda to gain power and hand over resources to their industrialist "friends" while making the common man pay the price.
"If they seize power in Delhi, they will make electricity as costly here as in every other state they rule," the AAP charged.
The AAP government and the two discoms have created a situation that is bound to lead to rise in electricity rates in the city, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said in a press conference.
There are three major power distribution companies in the city in which the private entities have 51 per cent stake while the Delhi government has 49 per cent share.
"It is a strange irony that all three power discoms sell electricity at the same rates, purchase it at the same rates and supply it through the same Transco network, yet one consistently makes a profit while the other two continue to operate at a loss," Sachdeva claimed.
He questioned the AAP government why did not it revoke the license of the private entity that was consistently showing losses in both purchase and sale of electricity.
"The private company managing the operations of two discoms ensures full payment to the four power generation companies that could halt supply for non-payment but does not pay to two Delhi government companies on time or in full for the electricity it purchases from them," Sachdeva charged.
New Delhi BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj said that the two discoms facing losses showed mismanagement and bad intentions of the private company managing their operations, underscoring the need for investigation.
"How is it possible for the two discoms to show consistent losses without collusion from the AAP government which has allowed these losses to increase year after year?" she asked.
She also claimed that while the private company operated profitably, the discoms jointly owned by it with the Delhi government incurred losses in both selling and purchasing electricity.
The private company treats its electricity supply losses as regulatory assets, now totaling over 21,000 crore rupees, she stated in a statement.
The outstandings of the Delhi government power generation companies Pragati Power Corporation and Indraprastha Power Corporation now exceeds Rs 26,638 crore due to untimely payments, she said.
The AAP said its government in Delhi is the only government in the entire country to give free electricity to all its residents round the clock.
"More than 22 lakh families receive zero electricity bills and 40.22 lakh domestic electricity consumers are getting the benefits of electricity subsidy from the Delhi government," it claimed.
Even after 10 years, the AAP has ensured this unlike other BJP ruled states where electricity prices have been "skyrocketing".
"The BJP has governments in 20 states and we challenge them to show one state where the BJP has given free or 24X7 electricity," the AAP asserted.
In Delhi's neighbouring states where the BJP is in power... metropolitan cities like Faridabad, Noida and Gurgaon thrive on generators even during non-peak demand time. The BJP leaders, who are making these fake claims should rather speak to the chief ministers of those states to ensure non-stop power supply there, it added.
