BJP's Delhi unit seeks LG's intervention on power crisis

Representatives of the Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) called on Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung on Tuesday, and urged him to resolve the three-month-long power crisis bedeviling the capital city.

Leader of Opposition in the the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta told Lt. Governor Jung during their meeting at Raj Niwas here that the latter's immediate intervention was necessary to resolve the deadlock between the Power Ministry, the Government of India and the Delhi Government pertaining to the availability of land for construction of the proposed four power Sub-stations at Rajghat, Tuglakabad, Dwarka & Karampura.

Gupta was accompanied by two other Delhi BJP MLAs Om Prakash Sharma and Jagdish Pradhan.

Speaking to media after the meeting, Gupta highlighted that though the ambitious Rs7791 crore plan of the Central Government for comprehensive upgradation of Delhi's power system for a dynamic, reliable and secure infrastructure for long-term has made much headway and is now ready for implementation, the Delhi Government's lack of earnestness and willingness to provide the land, has put the whole issue of great public interest in doldrums.

Gupta said that he had requested the Lt. Governor to clear the allocation of land to each of the four sub-stations at a token amount of Re. one only in the public interest.

"Our primary motive is to provide the people of Delhi with 24 x7 affordable power supply and ensure necessary infrastructure for continuous power augmentation and up-gradation," he said.

Jung patiently heard Gupta's plea and assured him of careful consideration of his proposal at the earliest.

Gupta said the Lt. Governor appeared positive about providing land at the token prise of rupee one per sub station.

Gupta revealed that the Government of India had agreed to pay Rs. 9 crore/acre totalling Rs. 100 crores to the Delhi Government as price of the required land.

He said that it is the price of the DDA land which the Delhi Government will have to purchase from the authority and transfer it for construction of the four sub-stations.

But Delhi Government is adamant to get 20 per cent lease price every year for the next 35 years, totalling Rs. 700 crores, which will make the project financially unviable and ultimately, escalate the prices of the electricity for the final consumer.

He added that the deliberate overpricing of the land by the Delhi Government has put unwarranted hurdle in implementing the ambitious project in the interest of the people of Delhi.

Gupta regretted that the Delhi Government has so far made no efforts to allot land for even one of the four proposed sub-stations. The apathy of the Kejriwal Govt. in providing the land has brought the efforts of the Central Govt. to standstill.