Delhi Power minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Atishi on Monday claimed that Delhi residents who get zero electricity bill will continue to do so even if the surcharge is increased.
“The people who get zero bill will continue to do so, irrespective of the surcharge. I want to tell the people that this increase in rates is because of the Centre. The Power Purchase Agreement Cost (PPAC) is fixed for a period of 10 years. An assessment is carried out every 6 months and the power companies are allowed to increase or decrease surcharge accordingly,” Atishi said, as reported by The Indian Express.
Atishi blamed the central government for the surge in power tariffs in Delhi.
“If power tariffs are going up in a city like Delhi then it’s only because of the central government,” she added.
“Power purchase agreement cost (PPAC) is fixed for a term of 10 years. The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission or any other power company in the country, assess the PPAC after every few months and allow power companies to increase or decrease the surcharge accordingly,” Atishi told reporters.
She alleged that tariffs were increasing in the country because of the Central government’s mismanagement which has caused an “artificial shortage” of coal in the country, adding that the Centre is forcing power companies to buy imported coal which costs 10 times more than the coal produced locally.
“In 75 years of India’s history, for the first time there is an artificial shortage of coal in the country, that is why coal cost is increasing.”
She asked the central government what was its relationship with foreign coal exporters that it is forcing producers to buy coal and that too at such high prices.
The BJP, however, has accused the AAP-led Delhi government of “nourishing” private power distribution companies by paying subsidies “without cross-checking them”, adding that a Delhi BJP delegation would soon call on the new DERC Chairman, Justice (Retd.) Umesh Kumar of the Allahabad High Court, in this context to demand a withdrawal of the one-member DERC decision of the power tariff surge.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva alleged that a DERC member appointed by the AAP government had, on June 22, ordered the tariff surge on the “demand of private companies” even as the new chairperson of the body was notified by the President.
“The silence of the Kejriwal government, four days after DERC allowed power discoms in Delhi to increase the power tariff, indicates collusion. The silence of the power minister on the issue shows that there is some nefarious deal,” Sachdeva alleged.
North east Delhi BJP MP Manoj Tiwari declared that the party would protest over the coming days if the increase in PPAC, which would lead to higher power bills, was not revoked, adding that the party would also take the matter to court, if needed.