AAP demands resumption of water-electricity subsidy in the budget

On Jul 14, 2014

The Aam Aadmi Party appeals to the central government to honour the sentiments of the overwhelming majority in the Delhi assembly while presenting the state’s budget in Parliament, and it should reduce the electricity tariffs by 50% and provide 700 litres of water free for every household.
Since the BJP’s central government has continued with the previous Congress-led UPA government’s decision of keeping the state assembly in suspended animation, and this situation has been continuing for five months now, therefore the view of nearly 90 % of the MLAs cannot be ignored.
In the assembly elections held in December, 60 of the 70 MLAs (32 BJP and 28 AAP) were elected on the promise reducing the electricity tariffs in the city.
Following the formation of the AAP government on December 28, the Arvind Kejriwal government implemented both its promises of reducing the electricity tariffs by 50% and providing 700 litres of water free everyday, within 48 hours of coming to power.
This relief was available to the people of Delhi for the months of January, February and March, but immediately after the exit of the AAP government, the then Congress-led UPA’s central government cheated the people when it got Delhi’s interim budget passed in Parliament in February.
The UPA government withdrew the subsidy on electricity and water that was provided by the AAP government, and even the BJP quietly allowed the interim budget to be passed without raising the demand for the restoration of the relief that was given to the people.
The Congress, which systematically allowed the private power distribution companies (discoms) to raise the electricity tariffs in Delhi during the Sheila Dikshit regime, was not expected to lower these tariffs nor did it make this promise to the people.
Now, though the BJP-led NDA’s new central government is still hesitant to tell the people whether it wants voters to elect a new state government, it should atleast restore the relief provided by the AAP government to provide some cushion to the people already reeling under the burden of steep price rise.