Government is compelled to accept the demand of BJP for audit by CAG

Accounts of the power companies should be audited from the day of privatization, be audited every year - BJP

BJP Delhi Pradesh President Shri Vijender Gupta has demanded Delhi Government and DERC that the accounts of all the three private power companies supplying power to Delhi should be audited w.e.f. 1st July, 2002 by the CAG so that the people of Delhi may be able to know how the companies have looted them for the last nine years.  BJP has been demanding from the first day of privatisation that the accounts of power companies should be audited by the CAG.  After looting the consumers for nine years, bowing to the pressure of BJP and the people Delhi Government was compelled to accept the audit of private power companies by the CAG.

            BJP Pradesh President has expressed his apprehension that only by expressing no objection it will be difficult for the CAG to audit the companies because section 8.2.1 of the power tariff policy issued by Government of India will have to be amended because under this section the DERC has been given direction that it should establish and monitoring a system for audit of financial and technical data of the private companies.  To enable the CAG to audit the companies it is necessary that the power tariff policy provision of Central Government is to be amended. This amendment can only be done by the Central Government.  Shri Gupta has asked the Delhi Government whether it consulted the Central Government before expressing its no objection that they are ready for the amendment of the power tariff policy.

            Delhi Government's suggestion that the audit of the companies should be for the last three years only.  BJP is of the view that the audit will have to be started from the day of privatisation and the audit by the CAG should continue every year.  He claimed that there must be serious lapses in the accounts.  If audit is done then the truth will come to light that the power companies are earning profit from the day of privatisation.  In spite of this the power tariff was increased on the grounds of loss.  The connivance between Congress Government and the private power companies will also come to light after the audit.

            Shri Gupta told that if the CAG after its audit finds that the power companies have earned profit after privatisation then this amount should be recovered from them and distributed among the consumers.  It may be mentioned that the promises made at the time of privatisation have not been fulfilled.  At the time of privatisation the Chief Minister had promised that the people of Delhi will get high quality and uninterrupted power.  Since there will be competition between the companies the tariff will also decrease every year.  But the people of Delhi are facing the consequences quite contrary to the promise made by the Chief Minister.

            Power load shedding is every day affair in Delhi.  After privatisation the power companies replaced the good working meters with fast reading and substandard meters so that the power consumers may be served heavy bills for earning huge profits.  He told that the Congress leaders also agree that the power tariff will continues to be increased and the power companies are now preparing to increase the power tariff further in the name of fuel surcharge.  Shri Vijender Gupta has also demanded enquiry into this conspiracy of power companies.