Hitting out at AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal today questioned his intention behind ordering a CAG audit of power discoms in Delhi since 2002 as he said that the exercise had not been carried out because records of only the past eight years is maintained by any company.
Opening an attack on the AAP leader ahead of Delhi polls, Goyal said that Kejriwal, during his stint as the chief minister of Delhi, had in January last year ordered an audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of the discoms since 2002 even though, as per rule, record of only past eight years is maintained by any company.
That is why the CAG is "unable" to audit their accounts, Goyal said.
"Kejriwal's government had ordered a CAG audit of the discoms from 2002 to 2014... I recently called a meeting of discoms officials and asked them why they were not giving their records to the CAG (but) they said they do not have records of more than the last eight years," Goyal said.
"I have doubts that Kejriwal had really wanted to benefit the people through this order, or he wanted to protect these companies by announcing a CAG audit since 2002. It is unfortunate that this truth had not come out even after one year," he said.
The minister said that although he had requested the CAG to audit the available records, the chief government auditor had cited the official order that the accounts had to be examined from 2002 onwards.
Goyal said that if BJP comes to power, it will immediately order an audit of the available records.
Meanwhile, speaking about the power subsidy, the minister said that the Centre had announced a subsidy for the people of Delhi in its budget which "will continue" in the coming years.
He said that projects worth Rs 7,791 crore are already underway for a comprehensive upgrade of power systems.
Goyal also said that just like for mobile phones, customers will soon have the "power to choose" their preferred electricity supplier.
"People will have the power to change their electricity supplier if they are dissatisfied with performance or billing," he added.
