Kejriwal promises 300 units of free power, 24x7 supply
Delhi CM says earlier power bills to be waived, farmers to get free supply if AAP is elected here
DEHRADUN: Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday promised 300 units of free electricity every month for each household of Uttarakhand, no power cuts, a waiver of earlier bills, and free supply to farmers, if his party is elected to power in the state.
Citing his party’s performance in Delhi, he called upon people of the state to shun the BJP and the Congress in the next year’s assembly elections, claiming that the two parties are after power and not development.
Kejriwal’s announcement on power freebies at a press conference in Dehradun comes four days after the BJP government in the state announced that it will provide free electricity to people up to 100 units and charge 50% for power consumed between 100 to 200 units.
Kejriwal said he has come to the state to make four guarantees relating to electricity.
“First, we will provide 300 units of free electricity to the people, which will have a financial implication of around ₹1,200 crore. Second, people won’t have to pay old pending and inflated bills. Third, there will be no power cuts in the state and electricity will be provided 24X7. And fourth, farmers in the state will get free electricity for agriculture purposes,” he said.
Kejriwal asked why electricity was so costly in the state despite Uttarakhand being a power producer and sending it to others. He asked if any party had even considered providing free power to the people of the state.
Kejriwal said a few days back he read about the state minister for energy and renewable energy announcing free power up to 100 units and 50% to be charged if power consumption is between 100 and 200 units. “But chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the state has no such proposal, which made it clear that they will not provide free electricity,” he said.
Lashing out at the BJP and Congress in the state, Kejriwal alleged that they have a setting between them. “Since 2000, first one comes to power and then another. The BJP is busy changing CMs, something that has happened for the first time in 70 years. The party is itself saying that this or that CM is not good and needs to be changed. While the BJP is busy changing CMs, the Congress can’t make up its mind about who will lead the state, who will be the leader of Opposition. Both the parties have destroyed Uttarakhand.”
Talking about replicating the AAP’s Delhi model of governance in Uttarakhand, he said if his party comes to power, it will bring about a major change in the schools and health infrastructure.
“Our leaders here are talking to the youth; within a month or so, we will make a big announcement about employment for the state’s youth,” he said.
“I also want to appeal to all those who love this nation, who are honest and feel stifled in their parties, to leave their parties and join the AAP,” he said
Asked about the CM face of AAP, Kejriwal said he will again come to the state soon and make the announcement.
With less than a year left for the next state assembly elections, the AAP is gearing up its poll preparation. Over the last eight months or so, it has been attacking the ruling BJP on various issues, including corruption, unemployment and health, at political events and on social media.
The Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL), a state government undertaking, is the sole distributor of electricity in the state. UPCL is currently supplying electricity to over 2.5 million consumers across the state with a peak demand of 2,233 MW.
State BJP spokesperson Devendra Bhasin said the AAP had also made such big promises last year. “They are just trying to mislead people of the state with such promises. Everyone knows the condition of mohalla clinics in Delhi and the overall Delhi model. Here they don’t have much cadre or a major face. They can’t even win the local civic elections if they try.”
Reacting to Kejriwal’s reference to CM Dhami on the free power proposal, Bhasin said, “He (Dhami) didn’t deny that the proposal doesn’t exist. He just said that it hasn’t yet been brought before the state cabinet.”
State Congress president Pritam Singh said the AAP doesn’t have roots in the state, alleging that Kejriwal’s party is a B-team of the BJP. “They know very well that they can’t win here. They have no base here and people of the state will give them a befitting reply.”
On whether the Congress has plans to provide free electricity if elected to power, Singh said all the promises to be made will be listed in the party’s manifesto for the elections. “Right now we have no such plan,” he said
While BJP is busy changing CMs, the Cong can’t make up its mind about who will lead the state, who will be leader of Opposition. Both the parties have destroyed U’khand
ARVIND KEJRIWAL, Delhi
chief minister