The attempt of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to attack the Congress and the BJP over suspension of power subsidy after March 31 seems to have backfired. Former Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal has been facing flak over his Government’s ineptitude to extend the existing relief being provided to the electricity consumers up to September. While the AAP leaders on Saturday reasoned they could not do so before the Budget of the next fiscal year, experts said it could be continued but Kejriwal did not do so.
“We could not allow continuation of power subsidy till September before the Budget of 2014-15. So, we did make provision of 50 per cent subsidy on power tariff till March 31. The Kejriwal Government in fact, had chalked out a plan to allow grant till September but both the parties joined hands to discontinue it for maligning the image of AAP,” senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh said, adding both parties are hand-in-glove.
On the other hand, experts said the explanation being given by the party leaders is far from the truth and it need not wait for the Budget for extension of relief. “The fact is that the AAP Government did not propose subsidy on power bills for another six months. If they are saying that it could not be done before the Budget, it is wrong. They attempted and proposed to bring Jan lokpal and promised to get it passed in the Assembly though it could not be done. Similarly, they could have brought the proposal for power subsidy also,” said experts.
Experts further said the Vote on Account of the Central Government cleared recently by Parliament had several provisions of continuation of excise relief, which clearly indicates that the AAP lies have been nailed. “If they had conviction and will to do so, they could have cleared the proposal of subsidy on power but they did not,” they said.
While addressing a Press conference to defend themselves, the AAP leaders said they are shocked over
the Central Government’s decision to ignore the proposal of the Arvind Kejriwal Government to continue this relief for the next six months and the move has also exposed the unholy nexus between the BJP and the Congress who hatched a conspiracy against the decision of the AAP. The leaders said that when the preparations for the interim Budget had started, the AAP Government had clearly made a provision for this relief to continue till September 14 and the power department was ready with its proposal.
Meanwhile, the AAP on Saturday claimed that the Congress-led UPA Government’s decision to reverse this pro-people’s measure is a betrayal of the people of Delhi. The party also reiterated that if the AAP again forms a Government in Delhi, it will provide subsidy on electricity as per its manifesto.
Senior party leader and former Delhi Minister Manish Sisodia said that the BJP is an equal partner in this anti-people decision, since despite having promised 30 per cent reduction in electricity bills in its manifesto for the Delhi Assembly elections, it did not protest the Centre’s move when the interim Budget was placed. “The people of Delhi are watching this matchfixing between the Congress and the BJP to increase the woes of the common man. The BJP’s mysterious silence on President’s Rule is a clear signal that it wants to deny the people their rights to a democratically elected Government,” said Sisodia.
Singh further blamed that Sheila Dikshit-led Congress Government kept on fooling the people of Delhi that the audit of private power distribution companies by the CAG was not possible due to the matter being pending in courts and now when it has been proved that the party was lying, it has now decided to help these companies by using President’s Rule as a ploy. “By having reversed the proposal of an elected State Government, the Congress-led UPA Government has tried to insult the popular mandate which is not acceptable,” said Singh.