The AAP Government has failed to come out with its much-touted white paper on power despite the Principal Secretary Power having sent the status report within 15 days after the Arvind Kejriwal Government’s decision to bring a white paper on power sector.
Top sources said that the Government has failed to come up with a white paper on the functioning of the private entities within its three-month stipulated deadline. The deadline to present the white paper to the citizens of Delhi on the status of the power sector was June 5.
As per announcement, the one member committee headed by former Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) chairperson Berjinder Singh should have presented the white paper by June 5 but this has not happened despite the fact that Principal Secretary (Power) Shakuntala Gamlin had even provided the draft of the white paper two-and-half-months ago to the Government. The draft was forwarded to Singh to finalise the white paper,” said the sources.
On the directions of Power Minister Satyendra Jain, Deputy Secretary Alka Sharma had issued an order on March 5 stating that Principal Secretary of the concerned department should provide all necessary administrative, secretarial and logistical assistance to Singh and also provide all such documents to him as may be deemed fit and necessary in developing the white paper within three months.
Even during its first 49-day rule in Delhi, the AAP Government had also announced to bring out the white paper on the power sector.
After assuming power on February 14, 2015, the Government reiterated that it would come out with the white paper by June 5.
The white paper is expected to throw light on the real situation of electricity generation, transmission and distribution for a period of 10 to 12 years. Power Minister Satyendra Jain had said that people of Delhi had every right to know about the real situation of the power sector and the impact of reforms carried out by this sector so far.
Jain had said that the white paper would also give details about compliance reports on power purchase agreements and distribution and transmission losses of electricity in the national Capital.
In 2013, the AAP Government had ordered an audit by CAG in the functioning of the power companies. The discoms had opposed the move, saying that the CAG had no powers to audit their accounts. The private companies had also moved the court against the Government decision. The CAG had alleged that the discoms were not cooperating with them in sharing their documents.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal against met the CAG and requested him to do the audit of the three discoms. Kejriwal is said to have conveyed to the CAG that it could audit the accounts of the private companies as the city Government was having 49 per cent stake in the three discoms.