Kejriwal claims people’s victory in ‘power’ battle
29 April 2013 7:20 AM IST
Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday said that acceptance of protest letters against 'inflated' power and water bills written by 10.5 lakh people by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit is a victory of the people of Delhi.
AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said Dikshit’s acceptance of the letters is 'a victory of the people’ and vowed that the movement against inflated bills would continue until tariffs are reduced.
Kejriwal alleged that both the Congress and the BJP are hand-in-glove in increasing the water and electricity tariffs in the state.
'At 9 am one of my associates, Dilip Pandey, got a call from the Chief Minister's office saying Sheila Dikshit wanted to talk. Dikshit said she will receive the protest letters. She was compelled to do so because of the pressure from the people. She had to bow down to the people,' said Kejriwal, while addressing a gathering at Jantar Mantar.
Kejriwal's party was holding its public rally at Janatar Mantar and they were to stage a protest march to the Chief Minister's house from there. The march was called off after Dikshit agreeing to meet the AAP delegation.
'Our aim is not just to submit these (over) 10 lakh letters, but to seek action on them. Our protest is unlike that of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Vijay Goel who simply protests to draw attention to himself and the party. We have said we won't pay our bills and this movement will continue till the tariff is slashed,' he asserted.
Kejriwal also said AAP would prepare 71 manifestos in total - One for each Vidhan Sabha constituency and one main manifesto for Delhi.
'The local constituency-wise manifestos would address problems faced by people in that constituency and would be made by interacting with people residing there,' he said and announced that on 19 May, people of Delhi would gherao the local MLAs, irrespective of party allegiance, to seek a response on the increase power and water tariff.
Kejriwal said the Congress governments both at the centre and in the state had failed to address the issue of water crisis in the national capital.
'Every year, the prime minister says that we will provide water to every household in this country. They have not been able to provide water to Delhi in the past 65 years. How will they provide water to the entire country,' he asked.
'Sheila Dikshit has been in power for the past 15 years. Why has not the issue been addressed,' he asked.
INTRODUCE FAIR COMPETITION AMONG POWER DISCOMS, DELHI BJP TO GOVERNMENT
Delhi BJP president Vijay Goel has suggested that the Delhi government must introduce the concept of 'fair competition' among power distribution companies to bring down power tariff in the city.
'If the government introduces competition among power distribution companies (DISCOMS), the power tariff will come down by over 30 per cent in the city,' said Vijay Goel. He compared the power tariff with that of mobile call charges and said that it was only competition which has gradually minimised the call charges. Goel was speaking in a rally in the Rohini area. He warned the government to not increase power tariff in the city, or else the BJP will protest against it from the streets to the Ram Lila Ground. Goel reiterated his promise to bring down the power tariff by 30 per cent if the BJP is voted to power. 'I will soon present a detailed report on power in the public domain and our strategy to bring down the power tariff,' added Goel.
He suggested that the Delhi government should use his 'formula' to give relief to citizens from sky-rocketing power tariff.
On the water crisis, Goel said that water crisis in the city is owing to the government’s mismanagement of resources and that there would be no scarcity of drinking water in the city otherwise. ‘If voted to power, we will provide water to every citizen,’ he said.
AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said Dikshit’s acceptance of the letters is 'a victory of the people’ and vowed that the movement against inflated bills would continue until tariffs are reduced.
Kejriwal alleged that both the Congress and the BJP are hand-in-glove in increasing the water and electricity tariffs in the state.
'At 9 am one of my associates, Dilip Pandey, got a call from the Chief Minister's office saying Sheila Dikshit wanted to talk. Dikshit said she will receive the protest letters. She was compelled to do so because of the pressure from the people. She had to bow down to the people,' said Kejriwal, while addressing a gathering at Jantar Mantar.
Kejriwal's party was holding its public rally at Janatar Mantar and they were to stage a protest march to the Chief Minister's house from there. The march was called off after Dikshit agreeing to meet the AAP delegation.
'Our aim is not just to submit these (over) 10 lakh letters, but to seek action on them. Our protest is unlike that of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Vijay Goel who simply protests to draw attention to himself and the party. We have said we won't pay our bills and this movement will continue till the tariff is slashed,' he asserted.
Kejriwal also said AAP would prepare 71 manifestos in total - One for each Vidhan Sabha constituency and one main manifesto for Delhi.
'The local constituency-wise manifestos would address problems faced by people in that constituency and would be made by interacting with people residing there,' he said and announced that on 19 May, people of Delhi would gherao the local MLAs, irrespective of party allegiance, to seek a response on the increase power and water tariff.
Kejriwal said the Congress governments both at the centre and in the state had failed to address the issue of water crisis in the national capital.
'Every year, the prime minister says that we will provide water to every household in this country. They have not been able to provide water to Delhi in the past 65 years. How will they provide water to the entire country,' he asked.
'Sheila Dikshit has been in power for the past 15 years. Why has not the issue been addressed,' he asked.
INTRODUCE FAIR COMPETITION AMONG POWER DISCOMS, DELHI BJP TO GOVERNMENT
Delhi BJP president Vijay Goel has suggested that the Delhi government must introduce the concept of 'fair competition' among power distribution companies to bring down power tariff in the city.
'If the government introduces competition among power distribution companies (DISCOMS), the power tariff will come down by over 30 per cent in the city,' said Vijay Goel. He compared the power tariff with that of mobile call charges and said that it was only competition which has gradually minimised the call charges. Goel was speaking in a rally in the Rohini area. He warned the government to not increase power tariff in the city, or else the BJP will protest against it from the streets to the Ram Lila Ground. Goel reiterated his promise to bring down the power tariff by 30 per cent if the BJP is voted to power. 'I will soon present a detailed report on power in the public domain and our strategy to bring down the power tariff,' added Goel.
He suggested that the Delhi government should use his 'formula' to give relief to citizens from sky-rocketing power tariff.
On the water crisis, Goel said that water crisis in the city is owing to the government’s mismanagement of resources and that there would be no scarcity of drinking water in the city otherwise. ‘If voted to power, we will provide water to every citizen,’ he said.
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