Kejriwal asks PM to allow dispensing with pacts with Delhi discoms

Delhi CM says many power companies ready to provide electricity at Rs 2.5 or Rs 3 per unit

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kerjriwal today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and allow cancellation of agreements with power companies, saying they are selling electricity at higher rates.

"I appeal to the Prime Minister to intervene as it (the Centre) has powers to cancel the agreements," he told reporters here.

The Chief Minister said that many power companies are ready to provide electricity at Rs 2.5 or Rs 3 per unit.

"Why are we purchasing fifty per cent of the power at Rs 5.5 per unit when many other companies are promising to give it at cheaper rates," he said.

Kejriwal said that the government has no enmity with power companies and wants to ensure 24-hour power supply at cheaper rates.

"Under the previous government, there were scams, bribery and corruption in power supply and the burden was shifted on consumers by raising electricity rate," he said.

The Chief Minister said that there were now no malpractices and corruption and asked power discoms to rectify their systems by removing anomalies, if any, assuring the companies that the government was ready to work with them.

He, however, warned that action will be taken against discoms if anomalies were found in their working.

"If anomalies were found in the system stern action will be taken (against power companies)," he said asking them to work 'honestly'.

Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, Delhi Power Minister Satyendra Jain and officials of all three power discoms in Delhi were present during launch of the Electricity Bill Dispute Redressal Scheme.

The scheme will benefit about 2.5 lakh consumers in Delhi, Jain said. Over half-a-dozen power consumers who had paid revised bills were handed over no dues certificates by Kejriwal at the function.