Discoms not cooperating: CAG to HC

Audit body says discoms not providing documents,Tata discom refutes claims

The Comptroller and Auditor General and the Delhi government on Monday informed the Delhi High Court that the Capital’s three discoms operating were refusing to cooperate with the national auditor.

The CAG complained to a division bench of acting chief justice BD Ahmed and Justice Sidharth Mridul that the discoms were not providing docu- ments sought by it.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had during its brief stint in power directed CAG to look into the accounts of the three discoms — Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd (TPDDL), BSES Rajdhani and BSES Yamuna — from the time they were given rights to distribute power.

AAP had claimed that the audit was necessary to bring transparency in the tariff determination process so that consumers pay a fair price.

Later, the discoms challenged the government audit order in court, saying the top auditor is not empowered to scrutinise accounts of private companies.

Justice Manmohan, while refusing to suspend the audit order, had directed the discoms to cooperate with the auditor.

During the hearing on Monday, the discoms sought adjournment of the hearing on the grounds that a similar matter pertaining to CAG audit of telecom firms will come up before the apex court on Tuesday.

The bench posted the matter for further hearing on March 24.

However, a TPDDL spokesperson refuted CAG’s claims and said the discom was cooperating fully with CAG. Of the 33 requisitions asked for by the auditor, TPDDL has already responded to 24, he said.

The three private firms had come into being in 2002, when the then Delhi government decided to privatise power distribution. Delhi discoms are a 51:49 per cent joint venture between private companies and the Delhi government.