AAP Government Favouring Discoms Under The Guise Of Free Power Scheme? Delhi LG Orders Probe

Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has ordered an inquiry into alleged irregularities in the power subsidy scheme in the state.

According to reports, he has directed the Chief Secretary to conduct an inquiry and submit a report within seven days after he received a complaint regarding the irregularities in the power subsidy scheme.

The LG has also asked the chief secretary to probe the non-implementation of power subsidy payment to consumers through Direct Benefit Transfer as ordered by the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission in 2018, the reports said.

The complainants, including lawyers and jurists, have alleged that there was a massive scam in the scheme. The allegations included that the Delhi government violated its own Cabinet decision of 2015-16 and disallowed audit even as subsidy payments of Rs 11,500 crore were settled in favour of BSES discoms BRPL and BYPL.

Instead of recovering the dues of Rs 21,200 crore allegedly owed by the BSES discoms for power purchased by them from state generation companies, the government allowed them (discoms) to settle their outstanding dues through subsidy reimbursements, the sources said.

It was also alleged that the discoms were allowed to charge Late Payment Surcharge (LPSC) at a rate of 18 per cent from consumers while they themselves paid LPSC at 12 per cent to the Delhi government-owned power generation companies.

"In the process, the discoms were provided a windfall gain of Rs 8,500 crore at the cost of the state exchequer," alleged the complainants.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia slammed Saxena in a strong-worded letter, accusing him of interfering in the elected government's works in a 'politically motivated and unconstitutional' manner.

Saxena, who took over as the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi in May this year, has in his tenure ordered several probes into the Kejriwal government's works including excise policy, classroom construction, and hospital construction. The AAP has, however, accused the LG of acting at the behest of the BJP-led central government.

The AAP put up a defence calling the probe politically motivated to stop its march in Gujarat. In September 2022, CM Arvind Kejriwal announced that from October 2022, only those who opt for the power subsidy would receive the benefit, indicating a partial roll back.

(with inputs from PTI)