New Delhi, Mar 13 (IANS): Delhi Congress President Anil Kumar Chaudhary on Saturday alleged that the power companies have robbed the people of Delhi to the tune of Rs 11,622 crore in the last six years through power subsidy, and demanded an audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).
Addressing a press conference here, Kumar said there should be no power tariff hike till the power companies operating in Delhi are subjected to an audit by the CAG.
He said, "The power companies were having secret parleys with the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government to increase the power tariff in a quid pro-quo arrangement. But the Congress will oppose any such move as the power subsidy was a major scam with thousands of crores filling the pockets of the corrupt that needed to be probed."
The Congress leader asked the Delhi government to promise the people that no tariff hike would be allowed till the power distribution companies undergo the CAG audit.
He alleged that in the last six years, the Kejriwal government had transferred Rs 11,662 crore into the accounts of the power companies for which there is no proper accounting.
Kumar said the power companies were not only demanding a tariff hike but also want a review of the present eight per cent surcharge towards accumulated deficit, and approve a revised surcharge to ensure time-bound recovery of regulatory assets or revenue gap.
The power companies also want the subsidy amount to be transferred on the basis of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to maintain its loot of people's money, he added.
The Congress leader said the power companies were already making huge profits from power distribution in Delhi and despite the promise of no power cuts, power breakdowns have become a recurring feature though summer is yet to peak.
He said the power companies are getting away with erratic supply without being penalised.
He also threatened that if the power tariff is hiked arbitrarily by the Kejriwal government, then Congress workers would hit the streets to oppose the decision.
He said the Delhi government had reduced the fixed charges after a delegation of the Delhi Congress headed by former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, including former Delhi Power Minister Haroon Yusuf had met Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
The Congress delegation had asked Kejriwal to provide some relief to the consumers from the steep power charges but even then these companies were making huge profits without any accountability.
Kumar said that Kejriwal had lied in the Delhi Assembly on Friday while claiming that his government had halved the power bills but in reality had increased the subsidy helping the power companies to double their loot.
He recalled that the Congress government had also given power subsidy in the financial year 2013-14, which was only Rs 621 crore but this amount had shot up to Rs 3,092 crore in this year's Delhi Budget, though there has been no audit of the thousands of crores doled out to the power companies in the last six years.