New Delhi : In an indictment of the three private power distribution companies in the national capital, the CAG has found them allegedly inflating dues from consumers to the tune of a whopping Rs 8,000 crore besides a range of other irregularities , including suppressing revenue.
In its draft report into financial condition of the three private companies, the CAG said the firms BSES Yamuna Power Ltd (BYPL) and BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd (BRPL) backed by Reliance Infra and Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd inflated their previously-incurred losses.
These companies have been pressing Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission to allow them to recover the “regulatory assets”. Authoritative sources said Delhi government was contemplating approaching the court seeking expeditious finalisation of the CAG report so that it can be implemented. Implementation of the report will result in significant cut in tariff, said a top official. The CAG report mentioned about the discoms “manipulating consumer figures”, buying costly power, inflating costs and suppressing revenue and favouring their group companies. “It said the three discoms inflated their regulatory assets by nearly Rs 8,000 crore,” said a senior official quoting from the report.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said power tariff will come down if the report turns out to be true. “If whatever has come out is true, then it will be a very big thing. The scam of Rs 8,000 crore has surfaced. Delhiites will be benefited as tariff will have to be brought down. We have received a draft report and we are studying it. Let the final report come,” he said.
“Government is exploring the legal opinion to move the high court to ensure early finalising of the CAG’s report and make it public as soon as possible,” a senior official said.
He said government will slash the tariff drastically if the report on discoms duping consumers by almost Rs 8,000 crore and they having a healthy financial condition was correct. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party asked the city government to take steps to publish the CAG findings at the earliest and rationalise electricity tariff based on them.
“The Delhi government should take steps so that the CAG report is made public at the earliest as whatever is known today is only through media reports. It should initiate criminal investigation in the case, prosecute the guilty, and recover the public money,” AAP spokesperson Deepak Bajpai told reporters.
