Kejriwal tasks departments with halving power rates

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Monday tasked the finance and power departments with preparing proposals to halve power rates and provide free supply of water, up to 20,000 litres per month, to every household - his AAP's two key poll promises.

The decision was taken in a meeting where Kejriwal asked the officials of these departments to send their proposals to slash power tariff by 50 percent till the audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of the private power companies is completed, said a government official.

In its previous 49-day government in 2013-14, the AAP had halved the electricity rates by 50 percent by providing subsidy and announced free supply of about 667 litres water everyday within 48 hours of coming to power.

It had also ordered the account book of power distribution companies by the CAG.