New Delhi: Under attack for sharp rise in electricity tariff, the Delhi government on Monday rejected the allegation that it had stalled Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission's decision to cut tariff in May 2010 saying the regulator never came out with any such order.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had on Saturday filed a police complaint against Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, a number of officials of the three private power distribution companies and two members of DERC, alleging their involvement in a "conspiracy" to stall the regulator's move to slash the tariff by 23 per cent.
Delhi Chief Secretary PK Tripathi, rebutting the charges, said the Delhi High Court had in an order in May, 2011, ruled that no such tariff order had been issued by the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC).
"Allegations have been made that though the then Chairman of DERC had notified a tariff order reducing power tariffs in Delhi, this was not enforced. Such allegations are totally baseless," Tripathi said in a statement.
The BJP had alleged DERC had decided to cut tariff by 23 per cent but after knowing about the move, a conspiracy was hatched to thwart it. Two members of the three-member DERC later refused to sign the order despite agreeing to cut the tariff, the party alleged.
In the complaint filed with I P Estate Police station, the BJP alleged that as part of the "criminal conspiracy", DERC was restrained from issuing the tariff order on May 5, 2010 in which it had planned to cut the electricity rates by 23. Tripathi said allegations were based on a note dated June 6, 2010 of then Chairman of DERC Berjinder Singh whose calculations about power tariff were found to be "wrong".
"The Hon'ble High court in its judgment in May, 2011 ruled that no such tariff order had been issued. The fact is that this issue has already been settled by the High Court of Delhi," he said adding since the issue has already been decided by the High Court, such allegations are "completely baseless and factually incorrect."
Tripathi said subsequent to this judgment, DERC in its tariff order issued on 26 August, 2011 analysed the "personal opinion" of the then DERC chairman and found that his calculations for cut in tariff were "incorrect as they were based on false assumptions".
Demanding a high-level probe into the issue, BJP had also released the draft tariff order prepared by the DERC in April, 2010 recommending 23 per cent cut in tariff citing healthy financial position of the power distribution companies.
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