BJP, Congress Slam AAP Government For Hike in Fixed Charges of Power Tariff

New Delhi, March 28:  Opposition BJP and Congress attacked the AAP government over the increase in fixed charges of power tariff, announced today by electricity regulator DERC.

Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken slammed the government for the "massive hike" in the fixed charges. "(Chief Minister) Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi government inflicts massive shock on the poor power consumers of Delhi with a steep hike in the fixed charges," he said.

The government's decision is benefitting power companies at the cost of poor, the Congress leader alleged.

"The massive increase in the fixed charges will put an additional burden of Rs 1,510 crores on power consumers of Delhi by way of tariff and surcharge," he said.

The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) today announced the power tariff schedule for 2018-19 that will come into force from April 1.

The fixed charges have been hiked while per unit charges have been slashed for various category of consumers, including those having domestic connections.

Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari alleged that the Delhi government had failed to oppose the hike.

He, however, claimed credit for the BJP and consumer organisations for reduction in per unit charges of electricity.

"By not opposing the fixed charge hike before the Commission, the Kejriwal government has denied the consumers full benefit of the tariff decrease," Tiwari said.

The decreased energy charges shows that for the last three years power discoms were making "huge profits" and hence, almost Rs 6,000 crores, which this government has given in subsidy to them, is a "big scam", he alleged.