Centre’s decision to pass on coal import cost on consumers deplorable, will hike power tariff by 10 to 15 per cent: Goel

Delhi BJP demands no additional burden should be put on consumers

New Delhi, June 22: The Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party today slammed the Congress for further fuelling a hike in already skyrocketing power tariff in Delhi. The party warned that any such move will not be accepted by the BJP. The party demanded that the additional costs of coal import should not be passed on to consumers in the form of another power tariff hike.

Reacting to a proposal cleared by Congress led UPA government which would allow the power generators to pass on the hike in power tariff to common people raising the electricity rates by atleast 10-15 per cent, the Delhi BJP President Shri Vijay Goel said, “The Congress government in Delhi and its leaders at the Centre are hand in glove when it comes to raising power tariff. If that is not the case, why didn’t the Delhi government oppose this move by the Union Finance Ministry. After all the finance minister is a senior member of the Congress party.”

Shri Goel said, “The latest move by the Congress led UPA government which is evidently backed by Delhi government is actually the outcome of the Coal scam. The coal production within the country has taken a back seat as the Congress ministers were too busy in doling out favours.”

The fall in domestic coal production has resulted in power generation companies seeking imports of coal and now this additional cost is being passed on to the consumers for no fault of theirs. It is the corruption, inefficiency and mismanagement of the government of the day at Centre which resulted in this situation. 

Shri Goel said, “In Delhi, Congress government has been hand in glove with DISCOMS and at the centre the Congress led government is hand in glove with power generation companies and the coal import lobby. Ironically, the common man is being ignored. Delhi residents are witness to this sad saga of neglect and corruption as over the last couple of years, the power tariff has almost doubled.”

The Delhi BJP is of firm belief that if resources are managed properly then power tariffs can be actually brought down. In Delhi, the party has promised to bring down the power tariff by 30 per cent. 

“Though we have a ten point formula which we are ready to share with the Chief Minister if she calls an all party meeting to reduce the power tariff, even if she implements some basic steps which we have shared with her, the power tariffs will come down immediately,” he added.

To begin with, the Chief Minister should immediately allow more companies to come in every circle and let there be competition among various DISCOMS. Simultaneously, the CAG should be asked to audit the accounts of these companies as their accounts have not been audited. It is for sure that the auditing would expose the way Delhi residents have been taken for ride by the unholy nexus of DISCOMS, DERC and Congress government in Delhi.

Shri Goel said, the BJP will soon be launching a city wide agitation on the issue of power tariff hikes in Delhi. The party will hold a historic rally at Ramlila Maidan in the month of August where lakhs of Delhi residents will gather to express their anger towards the apathy, corruption and inefficiency of the Congress government for its absolutely disastrous performance on all fronts and to express solidarity with BJP’s alternative model.The BJP is committed to bring down the power tariff by 30 per cent when it comes to power. Unlike, Congress government, we have the right intentions and strong political will to do this."