Delhi BJP slams Sheila Dikshit over electricity tariff remark

Delhi BJP on Monday took strong objection to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's comment that the electricity rates in the national capital are "lowest" as compared to other cities and term it as "fake claim". Accusing Dikshit of trying to mislead people, Delhi BJP chief Vijay Goel claimed power tariff in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh are Haryana are much lower than in Delhi.

Goel even released a power tariff rates of the four states and two cities - Chandigarh and Dehradun, to claim that Dikshit's comment was not based on facts. "It is deplorable that the Chief Minister is fabricating the truth. Nothing can be far from the truth. Not only does various states and cities have lower power tariffs compared to Delhi but they also give flexibility in terms of lower slabs to poor people," Goel said.

"While in Delhi the lowest available slab is 0-200 units, in states like Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Chhattisgarh there is option of cheaper electricity at lower slabs like 0-30, 0-100 units," said Goel. At a gathering on Sunday Dikshit had said Delhi has the "lowest" electricity rates compared to other cities and accused the opposition of trying to mislead people on the issue for political gain.

Goel said comparative analysis of tariffs of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and Chattisgarh showed that the power tariff in these states are on the lower side compared to Delhi. The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) on Friday had hiked the tariff for domestic consumers by five per cent. But with the regulator merging the fuel surcharge with the hiked component and Dikshit swiftly announcing a subsidy for those limiting their monthly consumption to 400 units, the tariff will in effect come down marginally for low-end consumers.

BJP has already announced an agitation against the hike in tariff. The party has already indicated that it will make hike in power tariff a political issue in the run up to the assembly polls in November 2013. BJP had earlier said the tariff will be slashed by 30 per cent if it comes to power in Delhi assembly elections slated to be held in November. The power tariff in the city was hiked by 22 per cent in 2011, followed by five per cent hike in February 2012. The tariff was hiked by up to two per cent in May 2012 and again by 26 per cent for domestic consumers in July 2012.