The BJP on Sunday launched an offensive against the Congress Government in Delhi, accusing it of failing on all counts — including providing cheap electricity and water.
Kick-starting the campaign for the upcoming Assembly polls, BJP president Rajnath Singh said the BJP would ensure basic amenities to over a crore Delhiites who have been neglected by the Government in its 15 years of rule while Delhi BJP president Vijay Goel reiterated that the BJP would slash power tariff by 30 per cent if voted to power. The rally saw a huge turnout of supporters, along with leaders from various factions within the party.
Singh exuded confidence that the BJP would form the next Government in Delhi, ousting the “corrupt” Congress. “No power can stop the ouster of this Government. We should take a pledge to change both the Delhi Government in the coming Assembly polls and later, the Central Government in the 2014 general elections,” he said.
The party chief lamented that the Congress had been unable to eradicate poverty despite ruling for a majority period post-Independence. He claimed that over one crore in Delhi were living without basic amenities and promised to remove poverty in the next five to seven years.
Goel also led a scathing attack, accusing the Delhi Government of “favouring” private power distribution companies that have been fleecing the people. He was equally critical of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC), which Goel said was playing into the hands of the Government despite being a quasi-judicial body.
Goel promised a CAG audit of all power companies operating in Delhi to unearth the “big scam” if voted to power. “In absence of competition, there is complete monopoly of power companies, leading to unregulated electricity rates,” Goel rued as he unveiled a 10-point formula to bring down tariff by 30 per cent.
Drawing a parallel with the telecom sector, he wondered why tariff didn’t come down if competition was encouraged among various discoms, the way call rates slipped.
At present, three discoms operate in separate areas and there is no competition among them. “We will bring a transparent power purchase mechanism. The discoms sell you costly power because they buy it at higher rates from their own companies and put the burden on consumers...We will bring these companies under RTI. We will also be setting up laboratories in every district to monitor and test electricity meters,” said Goel.
The State BJP chief also said half of Delhi remains thirsty all the time but the Chief Minister claims that only a few places don’t get water.
leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly VK Malhotra also criticised the Government for misleading people over regularisation of colonies. “The Delhi Government has committed a big fraud in the name of unauthorised colonies. There are at least 116 colonies that do not exist and yet have been notified for regularisation. Crores have gone into Congress leaders’ pockets,” he alleged. He lambasted the lack of action against illegal mining along the Yamuna belt.