New Delhi, Oct 4 (PTI) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday alleged “serious corruption” in power distribution and electricity subsidy and claimed that two Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) office-bearers and a son of its MP were appointed to the boards of power discoms engaged in the electricity supply in Delhi.
The party targeted AAP as Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena directed the chief secretary to conduct an inquiry into the power subsidy scheme after receiving complaints of alleged irregularities.
Addressing a press conference, BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi alleged that dues of more than Rs 3200 crore of private power distribution companies were waived.
“Why was this done? Why was the electricity subsidy not provided with honesty and transparency to the citizens of Delhi? Why was it not given through direct benefit like the central government and why middlemen were brought in?” Trivedi asked.
The senior BJP leader alleged that a benefit of around Rs 8000 crore was provided to power distribution companies by collecting less amount of late fee charges.
“When private companies were given the right to collect 18 per cent in the name of late fees then why were the same companies paying only 12 per cent to the Delhi government for the late fee? “Where was this profit of six per cent going? As per an assumption, they were benefited with around Rs 8000 crore through this in last few years,” Trivedi alleged.
He also said that generally government officials used to be nominated on the boards of power companies.
“But for the first time, the AAP nominated two of its office-bearers and a son of its MP to the boards of the power distribution company. What was the (AAP’s) purpose behind this?” Trivedi asked.
Reacting to these developments, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said the people of Gujarat have liked AAP’s idea of free electricity which has prompted the BJP to obstruct the power subsidy scheme in the national capital.
The chief minister said that he will “not allow this to happen under any circumstances”.
“BJP-appointed LG of Delhi has ordered the probe under yet another conspiracy hatched by the BJP to stop Arvind Kejriwal’s Vijay Rath in Gujarat,” AAP’s chief spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj said, Delhi BJP Chief Adesh Gupta, who also attended the press conference, said that the AAP was mired in corruption.
“Like the liquor scam, here also they earned commission,” he alleged.
The AAP leaders were appointed to the power discom board so that they can waive dues of the company and earn a commission, Gupta allegged.
“It is AAP government’s modus operandi that appoint your members in the power discoms and earn money. Kejriwal should provide answers to these allegations,” Gupta said in the press conference.
BJP’s IT department incharge Amit Malviya also hit out at the AAP national convenor Kejriwal and said that he gave “undue benefits” to power distribution companies.
“Kejriwal gave undue benefits worth Rs 11,550 crore to two power DISCOMs and a windfall of Rs 8,500 crore, which was extracted from the people of Delhi but paid to these private companies instead of the government. After the liquor scam, this fraud will also see AAP leaders in jail,” Malviya said in a tweet. PTI AKM AKM RT RT
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Source: The Print
