Kejri hits out at discoms, threatens to cancel their licences

Delhi government on Tuesday threatened to consider cancelling licences of private power distribution companies if they do not check power cuts caused by local faults.

The warning was issued after a review meeting by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who set a one-week deadline for the discoms to put an end to public inconvenience due to local electricity faults.

Sources said the Chief Minister hit out at the discoms and questioned why people should suffer due to their inefficiency while the companies get a 16 percent return on investment.

Review meeting

The review meeting was held in the backdrop of rival parties’ criticism of Kejriwal’s election rallies in Goa and Punjab at a time when power situation in the city was apparently worsening because rising peak demand and long power cuts.

After the meeting, attended by the discoms BSES and Tata Power, and Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission chairman, Delhi Power Minister Satyendar Jain said: “The CM has given them (discoms) a week's time to take corrective measures.”

Jain claimed the cuts being faced in some parts of the city were not due to shortage of power. He also assured consumers of monetary relief in case of long power cuts.

No shortage

“There’s no shortage of power. The compensation formula will be implemented within a week. The DERC will notify this within a week. Discoms will decide how to implement it,” the Minister said.

The peak demand in the city touched a record high of 6,188 megawatts on May 20. The Bharatiya Janata Party criticised Kejriwal for going soft against discoms and giving them repeated opportunities despite poor performance.

Connivance

Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said the connivance of Kejriwal with discoms had again come out in open with the Chief Minister giving them seven more days to improve their performance.

On Monday Jain had said if the power situation did not improve in 24 hours, the discoms will be penalised, but now Kejriwal has given them seven days, Kapoor said.

Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken blamed poor preparation by Delhi government to meet the peak power demand for the present power crisis.