5. AUDIT OF ELECTRICITY COMPANIES

5.

 AUDIT OF ELECTRICITY COMPANIES

People of Delhi have been complaining about high electricity bills because of the malpractices by discoms. The rates increased in an improper way. These rates are decided by Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC), which is a government commission. There seems to be a nexus between the Congress government and the private power companies and hence the electricity tariff is never reduced.

DERC tried to reduce the power tariff by 23% in May 2010 but Sheila Dixit who was the CM at that time wrote a letter to stop it. Later Sheila Dixit succeeded in appointing her own man as the Chairperson of DERC.  He increased the tariff instead of reducing it thus increasing the woes of the common man. AAP promised to reduce the tariff if it comes to power in Delhi.

Audit of electric companies is never done because of the nexus between Congress and the companies. They always said that a CAG audit was not possible since there was a stay from the High Court.

AAP promised audit of electricity distribution companies. If any company refuses to allow audit of its accounts, its license will be cancelled. Inflated bills will be rectified. It promised to end the ‘raid-raj’ of electricity discoms. Cases against those who participated in the agitation against inflated electricity bills will be withdrawn.

Those who have installed solar panels in their houses will be allowed to sell the extra electricity to the grid. They will be given incentives and subsidies. AAP set a target to achieve 20% of Delhi’s electric needs via solar energy in the next 10 years.

           

WORK DONE IN DELHI REGARDING AUDIT OF ELECTRICITY COMPANIES

As soon as Kejriwal became CM, he announced that people who used 400 units, ie. 0-200 units and 201-400 units of electricity per month will get 50% subsidy. The new rates will be in force from Jan1, 2014. This will benefit around 2.8 million people in Delhi. The beneficiaries will be the poor and the middle class people.

Kejriwal ordered audit by the Controller and Auditor General into the finances of the three power distribution companies in Delhi namely North Delhi Power Ltd. (NDPL), BSES Yamuna Power Ltd (BYPL) and BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd (BRPL).

BRPL and BYPL already own the government an amount of Rs. 4,500cr. This money will be adjusted in the subsidy the government has to give. The govt. will have to pay Rs.61cr to TDDDPL for the subsidy. TDDDPL supplies power to north Delhi.

Kejriwal has also ordered a CAG audit of discoms.