Goel dares CM to open debate
Scores of BJP activists led by Delhi unit chief Vijay Goel courted arrest on Saturday while protesting against power tariff hike in front of chief minister Sheila Dikshit’s residence here. Upping the ante, Mr Goel alleged that power tariff was being hiked frequently at the behest of the chief minister and challenged her to a public debate on the issue.
“Power tariff has been increased at the behest of chief minister Sheila Dikshit. The Delhi government, which is 50 per cent share holder in the discoms, is hand in glove with DERC and power companies,” he said while addressing BJP supporters on way to gherao Ms Dikshit’s official residence.
“I challenge Ms Dikshit to an open debate on the issue. We will prove that power tariff is being increased with connivance of the government, DERC and the private power companies,” he said.
The power tariff in the city was hiked by 22 per cent in 2011 followed by five per cent hike in February last year. The tariff was hiked by up to two per cent in May last year and again by 26 per cent for domestic consumers in July last year. The tariff was hiked by up to three per cent last month. The DERC is again considering hiking the tariff. Mr Goel had met DERC chairman P.D. Sudhakar and two members on Friday. Mr Goel said during his discussion with the DERC chairman and members, one of the members J.P. Singh admitted that he was the director of all the three power companies.
Mr Goel then questioned his continuation in the DERC saying how a person who was member of the three power companies can become part of the statutory body.
A report by NGO Chetna last month claimed that the discoms have billed the consumers an additional `4,500 crores in the last five years for electricity that was never actually supplied.
The report said the discoms have been billing consumers `900 crore annually for five years by charging for electricity generated through Residual Back Flow caused by absence of “three-phased neutrals” in lakhs of electronic metres.
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