Delhi BJP and Congress units on Monday lashed out on the Arvind Kejriwal Government for increasing power purchase adjustment cost (PPAC) that will impact the consumers.
The Delhi Congress demanded roll down the hike and alleged that the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC), in collusion with the Kejriwal Government, was helping the discoms make huge profits at the expense of the people.
Addressing a Press conference, Ch Anil Kumar, president, Delhi Congress said the power consumers of the national Capital will receive a big "shock" in their electricity bills from July onwards, as the DERC has allowed a hike in Power Purchase Adjustment Cost (PPAC), which is a surcharge used to compensate the Power Distribution Companies (discoms) for changes in the rate of fuel in the market.
Kumar alleged that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a tacit understanding with the power distribution companies is allowing the power consumers to be fleeced with this latest PPAC hike in rates, and this rate hike will inflict a major blow on the consumers, who are yet to recover from the devastation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta described Kejriwal-led Delhi Government’s decision to increase power tariff as a fraud with Delhiites. He asked what has the Government done to augment power supply in Delhi despite being in power for over seven years now.
"Kejriwal must answer that. Despite coming to power for a third time in a row, the Kejriwal Government neither took any concrete steps nor made a road map in this regard.
He first made Delhi hollow by giving a free lollipop of power and when it was exposed, the entire burden has now been shifted to consumer with six per cent tariff raise. Now Delhi's people are facing this problem of increased tariff," said Gupta.
He said in the Capital the average power tariff is Rs 6.85 per unit while in industrial units it is Rs 10.69 and for domestic consumer the tariff is Rs 5.11 per unit.
"But in the Capital, actually the slab rate is a big fraud because the moment units' number crosses 200 one has to pay the entire bill. As far as free distribution of electricity is considered this is the Kejriwal Government's vote bank scheme whose benefit goes to only about 20 per cent of connection holders," alleged Gupta.
Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, the Leader of Opposition, said the fact is that the AAP-led Delhi Government in nexus with private discoms is not committing loot but actually committing dacoity.
"In the Capital 7000 mw electricity is supplied but in the name of that three times more money is taken on pretext of fixed charges. The AAP Government is running only on the basis of falsehood and its main aim is to create confusion among people and loot them. This is the reason why now Kejriwal government has announced a hike of two to six per cent power tariff," said Bidhuri.