The Delhi unit of the BJP today opposed any hike in power tariff in the national capital and demanded that the AAP government ask distribution companies to make their financial accounts public.
The three discoms -- BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL), BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) and Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL) -- have been seeking hike in tarrif pointing that the last such increase of 5 per cent was effected way back in July 2014.
Manoj Tiwari, the Delhi unit president of the BJP, said, "People are already paying a high power tariff and discoms, in which the Delhi government and private operators are partners, have been making hefty profits."
"Delhi's total revenue gap (regulatory assets) owed to the three discoms is over Rs 34,000 crore till FY 2015-2016. This is the shortfall that has piled up due to a non-cost reflective tariff over the years," said a discom official on the condition of anonymity.
The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) earlier this month had held a public hearing on the petitions of the discoms to balance tariff, expenses and aggregate revenue requirement, but it was boycotted by the representatives of resident welfare associations.
Tiwari said the BJP will continue its support to the RWAs opposing any possible tariff hike.
"We will convene a meeting of RWAs to discuss the issue and extend all our support to the cause of people of Delhi," he said.
The discoms have also justified the "need" of a hike pointing that many states and UTs have raised tariff in the past two years in line with recommendations of UDAY (Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana) which was approved by Union cabinet in November 2015.
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