Kejriwal writes to Najeeb Jung over discom appointment impasse

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today wrote to Lt Governor Najeeb Jung urging him to resolve the issue involving the appointment of directors in power distribution companies.

The AAP government had last year nominated directors to the boards of the three power distribution companies — BSES Rajdhani Power limited (BRPL), BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) and Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL), but the LG refused to acknowledge the appointments.

In his letter, Kejriwal urged Jung to invite him and the Power Minister for a discussion to resolve the issue.

The Chief Minister said that when top most officers of the government became a part of decision making in discoms, there was "conflict of interest" when discoms' decisions come before the government for consideration.

"Moreover, it becomes difficult to question their decision and performance subsequently, which are not in consumers' interest. For this reason, it is not advisable to nominate top most officers of the government on discom's board," the letter said.

"The LG ought to have engaged in a discussion with the CM or Power Minister in an endeavor to settle the difference of opinion. However, without inviting the CM/Power Minister to discuss the matter, LG directed in his note dated (01.11.2016) to 'immediately implement' his decision of rejecting names proposed by the government and instead to nominate different names decided by LG unilaterally," it said.

Kejriwal further urged the LG to refer the matter to the council, if the difference of opinion persisted.