Water, power remain a bone of contention
If Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party expected its ally Congress to endorse its decisions, in Delhi Assembly, a rude shock awaited the party. The Congress and the BJP on Thursday were on the same side as the two parties spared no effort in exposing the State Government over issues of water and power.
The newly-formed Government faced strong criticism for providing subsidised water and electricity. Former Delhi Minister Arvinder Singh lovely targeted AAP, on the decision to provide subsidy on power, calling it unconstitutional as the Government had no allocated funds to meet the requirements. He further said the AAP was no different from the Congress as his party was also providing subsidised electricity to the weaker sections of society.
“The power department does not have money to fulfil the requirement arising as a result of power subsidy. The Government must explain from which fund it will transfer the money to meet the financial requirements. Only the House is entitled to approve the budgetary allocations. Since the revised estimate has not been approved, the Government’s decision to announce subsidy is against the rules and the privilege of the House has also been compromised with,” said lovely during a discussion on the vote of confidence in the Assembly.
He alleged that the AAP had promised slashing the power tariff by 50 per cent in Delhi but the power subsidy will only benefit a small section of people.
lovely, the former Education Minister in Sheila Dikshit Government also questioned the effectiveness of 20 kilolitre free water allowed to consumers saying only a handful of people will be benefited by this move while the rest of the population will bear the brunt of increase in water tariff.
“While several posh localities of the Capital are aloof from equitable distribution of water, the slums and villages too do not have water connection and pipelines. lakhs of slum dwellers and village population who have voted the AAP to power, will be deprived of the benefit,” lovely charged. He said the newly elected leaders of AAP are being misguided by some officers of the Delhi Government, over the issues of power and water subsidy, and need to be reminded of their responsibility.
Earlier, leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly, Dr Harsh Vardhan accused the Government of misleading the people by making such announcements. He said the average water consumption of a majority of households is much more than 667 litres of water but if their consumption increased by even a litre, they will be burdened with the increased water tariff. “The Government has been misleading people by announcing free water. Actually it has increased the water tariff within 48 hours of coming to power. Out of the total population of 1.8 crore, only 4-5 lakh households will be benefited by the Government’s move,” Vardhan alleged. The BJP leader further slammed Kejriwal and his Government for power subsidy saying it was the taxpayers’ money which is now going into the pockets of private discoms. “Instead of slashing the power tariff, the Government is obliging the private companies, from Day One it has indulged in jugglery of figures. The Government must reply when it will rollback the increased prices of water and CNG in Delhi,” Vardhan said.