Delhi govt appoints committee for improving power sector

Under mounting attack for hike in electricity tariff and long outages, Delhi Government today appointed a three-member committee to review status of reforms in the power sector and suggest measures to improve its performance.
The committee which has been appointed as per instruction of Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit will be headed by Ajay Shankar, former Secretary in Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) in Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
The other members of the Committee are former Chief Secretary of Delhi P K Tripathi and D K Mittal, former Secretary, department of Financial Services in Finance Ministry.
"The committee will examine various aspects relating to power sector in Delhi and will suggest measures to take it forward. The terms and references of the committee are wide and elaborate which will enable it to provide a comprehensive framework to enhance customer satisfaction," officials said.

The committee has been asked to submit its report within four months.
Officials said the government was not happy with functioning of power distribution companies as areas across the city have been facing long outages due to problem in their distribution network.

"Delhi has surplus power but still certain areas have been facing power cuts due to local faults. The committee will look into the issue as well," they said.
The setting up of the committee came amid stepped up attack on the government by Delhi BJP and Aam Admi Party for effecting a series of tariff hike in the last two years and "failing" to ensure round-the-clock electricity supply to the citizens.

Both the parties have indicated that they will make tariff hike a major issue in the run up to the Assembly polls slated for November.
Delhi BJP chief Vijay Goel had already announced that the tariff will be slashed by 30 per cent if BJP comes to power in the Assembly elections.
The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission last week had hiked the tariff for domestic consumers by five per cent, heeding to the demands of the distribution companies.
Dikshit, facing Assembly polls after three months, swiftly announced a subsidy for those limiting their monthly consumption to 400 units to neutralise the hike.

The power tariff in the city was hiked by 22 per cent in 2011 followed by five per cent hike in February last year. The tariff was again hiked by up to two per cent in May last year and again by 26 per cent for domestic consumers in July last year. The tariff was hiked by up to three per cent in February.
Demanding a cut in tariff, the BJP has already launched an agitation.