The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) criticized the Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Saturday for his order to remove two of its "government nominees" from the board of private DISCOMS. The party deemed the decision "unconstitutional" and "illegal" and accused the Delhi LG of making a "complete mockery" of Supreme Court orders and the Constitution. "LG's orders removing Jasmine Shah and Naveen Gupta from the Board of DISCOMs is illegal and unconstitutional. LG does not have the power to issue such orders. Only the elected government has the power to issue orders on the subject of electricity. LG has made a complete mockery of all SC orders and the Constitution. He is openly going around saying that SC orders are not binding on him," the AAP statement read.
𝗔𝗔𝗣 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗸𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗦
VK Saxena issued an order for the immediate removal of two individuals from their positions as 'government nominees' on the Board of Private DISCOMS. These individuals were AAP spokesperson Jasmine Shah and Naveen ND Gupta, son of AAP MP ND Gupta.
The office of the Lieutenant Governor stated in a statement that Jasmine Shah and Naveen ND Gupta were removed for allegedly "illegally" holding their positions. To fill the vacancies, senior government officers were appointed as replacements. "Delhi LG, VK Saxena had ordered for the immediate removal of AAP Spokesperson, Jasmine Shah, Son of AAP MP, ND Gupta- Navin Gupta and other private individuals, who had been illegally appointed as government Nominees on the boards of privately owned DISCOMs- BYPL, BRPL (Anil Ambani) and NDPDCL (Tata)," the statement from the LG Office read.
𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀: 𝗚𝘂𝘃
According to the statement, Jasmine Shah and Naveen ND Gupta were accused of "collaborating" with private representatives on the boards of Anil Ambani-owned DISCOMS and providing benefits worth Rs 8000 Cr to these companies at the expense of the public funds. The statement also indicated that the Finance Secretary, Power Secretary, and MD of Delhi Transco will now serve as government representatives on these DISCOMS owned by Ambani and Tata, in accordance with a longstanding practice that dates back to the time of Sheila Dikshit's tenure as Chief Minister when the DISCOMS were established.
"Invoking "difference of opinion" under Article 239AA of the Constitution of India, after the Arvind Kejriwal government persisted in their continuance on these boards, despite proven misconduct and maleficence on their part, by way of benefiting the Ambani-owned DISCOMS to the tune of more than 8000 crores, at the cost of government exchequer, Saxena had referred the matter to the President of India for a decision. He had asked for the removal of the above-mentioned political appointees on the DISCOM boards with immediate effect, pending the President's decision, and asked for senior government officials to replace them on the boards of the DICOMS," the LG Office statement read.
𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝘁 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲
According to the statement, before the appointment of party functionaries as "Government Nominees" by the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government, senior government officials such as the Finance Secretary, Power Secretary, and representatives of government-owned GENCOS and TRANSCO were the norm for serving on the boards of private DISCOMS. The Delhi government, which holds a 49% stake in these private companies, used to nominate these senior officials to ensure that the interests of the government and people of Delhi were protected in decisions made by the DISCOM boards.
"However, these AAP nominees on the DISCOMS, in a quid pro quo arrangement involving commissions and kickbacks, instead of acting vigilant in the interest of the people and government of Delhi, acted in cahoots with the BRPL and BYPL boards facilitated a decision by their boards to decrease the LPSC rates from 18 per cent to 12 per cent, and in the process unduly benefitted them to the tune of Rs 8468 crores- an amount that would have gone to the Delhi Government exchequer," the statement said.
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