Delhi power discoms colluding with AAP for windfall gains: BJP

New Delhi, Nov 12 (PTI) The Delhi BJP submitted a memorandum to Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Tuesday, calling for a probe into alleged financial irregularities in the power distribution companies.

Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva, who led a delegation to the LG, accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of helping the power distribution companies or discoms score undue financial gains.

Responding to the allegation, the AAP said it is the "BJP's pre-set agenda" to hand over resources to industrialists.

"BJP's goal is clear: gain control, hand resources over to their industrialist 'friends', and make ordinary citizens pay the price. If they seize power in Delhi, they will make electricity as costly here as they have in every other state they rule," a statement issued by the AAP said.

The Delhi government is the only government in the country that gives free and 24x7 supply of electricity to all consumers, the AAP said.

Talking to reporters, Sachdeva said, "We have met the LG and demanded an inquiry into the role of Arvind Kejriwal and the AAP government in providing windfall gains to the discoms in Delhi and seeking recovery of the Delhi government utilities with the power distribution companies." "It is a strange irony that all three power discoms sell electricity at the same rates, purchase it at the same rates and supply it through the same Transco network, yet one consistently makes a profit while the other two continue to operate at a loss," the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader added.

He accused AAP leaders of receiving kickbacks from the power companies and questioned why the Delhi government did not revoke the licences of the private companies that have consistently reported losses.

"The silence of the AAP government over the retention of regulatory assets and the Delhi government's non-payment of dues to power companies clearly indicate towards the possibility of connivance of the government and kickbacks going to the ruling party," Sachdeva said.

In a statement, the Delhi BJP president said discoms have been posting regulatory assets for the last 11 years alleging losses, which is a violation of the National Power Tariff Policy, and yet the AAP government has not cancelled their licences.

Tariff guidelines say regulatory assets can be posted in the "rarest of rare" circumstances as these are to be borne by the exchequer, he said.

BJP's New Delhi MP Bansuri Swaraj had pointed out last week that the losses of the two discoms were categorised as regulatory assets, now exceeding Rs 21,000 crore.

She had criticised the private firm managing the discoms, suggesting that consistent financial losses signal mismanagement and potential collusion with the AAP government.

Swaraj had said the Delhi government owes these power-generation companies Rs 26,638 crore due to a delay in payments. PTI MHS RC