‘BJP, Cong hand-in-glove over power issue’
9 Oct 2012 6:52 AM IST
Arvind Kejriwal and other activists of India Against Corruption, on Monday, created a very uncomfortable situation for Delhi BJP when Kejriwal used BJP dais at Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission office and accused BJP of being hand-in-glove with Sheila Dikshit government on the issue of inflated power bills.
At the receiving end was senior BJP leader and former union minister Vijay Goel, who had welcomed Kejriwal, after he arrived while BJP agitation against power bill was going on, on the stage saying that BJP welcomes everybody who is fighting this protest of people against power tariff hike.
He told Kejriwal after later joining him on the stage, ‘I had not met you before and I wanted to meet you.’
Kejriwal, however, starightaway accused BJP of being complicit with the ruling Congress in helping private power distribution companies of over-charging consumers. After saying so amidst BJP leaders, he fired salvo at Goel and BJP, leaving every BJP members present there red-faced.
Kejriwal asked Goel to give reply of his two questions – Why did not BJP stall the assembly when it knew that the Sheila Dikshit government had suppressed an order to reduce power bills by 23 per cent as per the recommendation of former DERC chief who was unceremoniously transferred, and why has Delhi BJP chief Vijender Gupta not made public the document it has got through RTI, which is related with that recommendation of former DERC chief for reducing power bills by 23 per cent.
Kejriwal asked Goel that can he declare it from the dais that BJP will make that document public tomorrow itself, which has been denied by the government.
When it was the turn of Goel to speak on Kejriwal’s charges, Goel did not elaborate on the charges levelled by Kejriwal and said, ‘Mr Kejriwal has just formed a party, we already have one. We welcome anyone who speaks on the issue of electricity.’
Later the venue was hijacked by IAC volunteers and supporters who kept speaking against the inflated power bills. Leading the crowd at DERC office in Malwiya Nagar were Manish Sisodia and Gopal Rai.
BJP had organised its own protest against the inflated power bills since the morning at the DERC office, where DERC had started to listen to the grievances of consumers. However, by the afternoon, it had become IAC show. Some IAC voluteers also said that BJP was tring to hijack the agitation which was started by IAC.
Sisodia, however, said, ‘We have no issues at all with it. We are fighting for the people’s cause and whoever raises it is good for aam janta.’
DISCOMS COMPLAIN AGAINST CONSUMERS OVER RESTORING POWER
A day after IAC leader Arvind Kejriwal went around restoring connection of those consumers who have defaulted on payment of power bills, distribution companies BSES and NDPL on Monday lodged complaints with Delhi police. North Delhi Power Limited [NDPL] has lodged an official written complaint against Meera Bedi, a resident of Bawana at Narela Police station. Confirming the complaint, NDPL spokesperson Ajay Maharaj said, ‘Yes, we have filed a complaint against the consumer for restoring her power supply, that we had disconnected due to non-payment of bill.’
Officials of NDPL said the consumer’s bill is meagre- Rs 3,050-till now and she hasn’t paid since March this year. Anil Ambani-controlled BSES filed the complaint against Bana Ram, a resident of Khanpur, south Delhi. Ram’s connection was cut after he defaulted on a bill of Rs 15,160 in September. Officials from BSES said a case has been registered under Section 138, Indian Electricity Act, for interference with the network. In the last three days, Kejriwal and his supporters have restored electricity in two houses in Khanpur, and at a house in Bawana. The power supply to these houses had been snapped due to non-payment of dues. In Bawana, Kejriwal and others also tore up electricity bills as a mark of protest.
Meanwhile, a public hearing on Monday organised by Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission [DERC] at their office was a noisy affair. Several residents welfare association members marred the hearing and started shouting against DERC.
At the receiving end was senior BJP leader and former union minister Vijay Goel, who had welcomed Kejriwal, after he arrived while BJP agitation against power bill was going on, on the stage saying that BJP welcomes everybody who is fighting this protest of people against power tariff hike.
He told Kejriwal after later joining him on the stage, ‘I had not met you before and I wanted to meet you.’
Kejriwal, however, starightaway accused BJP of being complicit with the ruling Congress in helping private power distribution companies of over-charging consumers. After saying so amidst BJP leaders, he fired salvo at Goel and BJP, leaving every BJP members present there red-faced.
Kejriwal asked Goel to give reply of his two questions – Why did not BJP stall the assembly when it knew that the Sheila Dikshit government had suppressed an order to reduce power bills by 23 per cent as per the recommendation of former DERC chief who was unceremoniously transferred, and why has Delhi BJP chief Vijender Gupta not made public the document it has got through RTI, which is related with that recommendation of former DERC chief for reducing power bills by 23 per cent.
Kejriwal asked Goel that can he declare it from the dais that BJP will make that document public tomorrow itself, which has been denied by the government.
When it was the turn of Goel to speak on Kejriwal’s charges, Goel did not elaborate on the charges levelled by Kejriwal and said, ‘Mr Kejriwal has just formed a party, we already have one. We welcome anyone who speaks on the issue of electricity.’
Later the venue was hijacked by IAC volunteers and supporters who kept speaking against the inflated power bills. Leading the crowd at DERC office in Malwiya Nagar were Manish Sisodia and Gopal Rai.
BJP had organised its own protest against the inflated power bills since the morning at the DERC office, where DERC had started to listen to the grievances of consumers. However, by the afternoon, it had become IAC show. Some IAC voluteers also said that BJP was tring to hijack the agitation which was started by IAC.
Sisodia, however, said, ‘We have no issues at all with it. We are fighting for the people’s cause and whoever raises it is good for aam janta.’
DISCOMS COMPLAIN AGAINST CONSUMERS OVER RESTORING POWER
A day after IAC leader Arvind Kejriwal went around restoring connection of those consumers who have defaulted on payment of power bills, distribution companies BSES and NDPL on Monday lodged complaints with Delhi police. North Delhi Power Limited [NDPL] has lodged an official written complaint against Meera Bedi, a resident of Bawana at Narela Police station. Confirming the complaint, NDPL spokesperson Ajay Maharaj said, ‘Yes, we have filed a complaint against the consumer for restoring her power supply, that we had disconnected due to non-payment of bill.’
Officials of NDPL said the consumer’s bill is meagre- Rs 3,050-till now and she hasn’t paid since March this year. Anil Ambani-controlled BSES filed the complaint against Bana Ram, a resident of Khanpur, south Delhi. Ram’s connection was cut after he defaulted on a bill of Rs 15,160 in September. Officials from BSES said a case has been registered under Section 138, Indian Electricity Act, for interference with the network. In the last three days, Kejriwal and his supporters have restored electricity in two houses in Khanpur, and at a house in Bawana. The power supply to these houses had been snapped due to non-payment of dues. In Bawana, Kejriwal and others also tore up electricity bills as a mark of protest.
Meanwhile, a public hearing on Monday organised by Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission [DERC] at their office was a noisy affair. Several residents welfare association members marred the hearing and started shouting against DERC.
Next Story
