Delhi govt. colluding with discoms, inflating electricity bills, says BJP

The Delhi unit of the BJP on Wednesday hit out at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, alleging that it was “looting” the people of the Capital through inflated electricity bills. The government, however, responded, saying the allegations were mere “rumours”.

The Delhi unit of the BJP on Wednesday hit out at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, alleging that it was “looting” the people of the Capital through inflated electricity bills. The government, however, responded, saying the allegations were mere “rumours”.

Claiming that electricity providers backed by the State government were “extorting hefty amounts of money” from the public in the name of the power purchase adjustment cost (PPAC), Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said the “game” began in April as the heat began peaking in Delhi.

“The Delhi government did not arrange extra electricity during the summer and did not even prepare an action plan for power management. When the heat peaked in April, power cuts became frequent, and power distribution companies (discoms) in collusion with the Delhi government started their game and increased PPAC rates,” he said.

As per a Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) order, the current PPAC — a surcharge to compensate discoms for changes in fuel costs — will remain the same, and no further charges will be added. However, a provision under the Electricity Act, 2003, allows discoms to increase PPAC by up to 10% from what is prescribed by DERC in case of higher costs of purchasing electricity, especially in summer months.

Mr. Sachdeva alleged that on the direction of the AAP government, BSES Rajdhani, one of the largest discoms in Delhi, had written a letter to the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) Secretary on April 25, informing him that they will increase PPAC by 8.75% from May to July, instead of seeking permission.

“The government and the discom together colluded to increase PPAC by 8.75% to a total of 43.79%, causing electricity bills to become much more expensive,” he said.

BJP leader Arvinder Singh Lovely added that electricity bills had increased not because of higher consumption, but mainly due to the PPAC. “Despite promises, electricity companies have not been audited by AAP in the last 10 years,” he said.