Two years of AAP: Delhiites heave sigh of relief as govt slashes power bills by half
NEW DELHI: When it comes to power, the AAP has truly travelled miles. Delhiites are happy that tariffs have not increased in the past two years and there have been no power cuts.
The AAP, country’s youngest political outfit, says it is proud of what it has achieved in just two years in the Capital since sweeping to power winning 67 of the 70 Assembly seats. The party’s manifesto promised reduction of electricity bills by half, CAG audit of power discoms, Delhi’s own power plant, the introduction of competition among discoms and Delhi as a solar city. Almost all areas have been covered in these two years. While the first one was fulfilled within 11 days of the party coming to power, the CAG audit of power discoms is sub judice.
The promise of making Delhi a solar city is gradually being fulfilled with the gov- ernment notifying the ‘Delhi Solar Energy Policy, 2015’ in June 2016.
Earlier, power distribution companies in the national Capital were instructed to pay penalty to consumers if unscheduled loadshedding in their areas took place for an hour or more and the fine amount would be adjusted in the monthly bills.
Announcing the decision, Delhi’s Power Minister Satyendar Jain said penalty of Rs 50 per hour per consumer will be levied for the first two hours followed by Rs 100 for every subsequent hour.
The government had also directed DERC to come out with a detailed schedule of power cuts in different parts of Delhi 15 days in advance and put it out on its website.
“There is a major relief to lower and middle-income groups as well as resettlement residents, who are consuming power below 400 unit per month. In the last two years, there has been no increase in power tariff in Delhi,” said a senior officer from the Chief Minister’s office.
Two of its promises — that Delhi would have its own power plant outside the capital and introduction of competition among discoms — are yet to be fulfilled and may take years before they turn into a reality.