BJP had promised to reduce electricity tariffs by 30%

The Delhi budget presented by union finance minister Arun Jaitley in the Lok Sabha on Friday is a complete betrayal with the residents of the national capital, who have been cheated by the BJP-led government once again.

The BJP had, during the assembly elections and the Lok Sabha elections, both, promised 30% reduction in electricity tariffs, but despite having got a proper opportunity to do so, it finally failed to deliver on its promise, proving that the promise was merely to hoodwink the people.

This is yet another u-turn by the BJP on its promises made to the people. If Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party government could implement its promise of reducing the electricity tariffs by 50 % and providing free water upto 700 litres per household every day within 48 hours of assuming office, then why has the BJP miserably failed to deliver on its electricity tariff promise ?

The AAP makes it clear that its struggle for 50% reduction in electricity tariffs and restoration of free water supply upto 700 litres will continue till the people get it this relief.
It is none other than Finance minister Arun Jaitley himself, who had mocked the AAP government for providing electricity and water subsidy in a public statement on January 1 this year.

This is what Mr Jaitley had publicly stated on January 1:“Subsidies are an unquantified amount given to unidentifiable section of people. Through subsidies a government does not cut down the rates or the cost. It maintains the existing rates and tariffs. It only uses the tax payers money to subsidize.”

While presenting the Delhi budget on Friday, Mr Jaitley has done exactly the opposite of what he used to say earlier, but what is shocking is that the subsidy announced by him is exactly what the Sheila Dikshit government used to give and nothing more.

What is even more shocking is that when the BJP was ready to give a subsidy despite having mocked about it earlier, then what prevented it from implementing its election promise of slashing the tariffs by 30%, instead of indulging in mere gimmickry?

What happened to the claims by Delhi BJP leaders that a provision of Rs 700 crore would be made in the budget to bring down the electricity tariffs in Delhi ? Did their own central government not listen to them or were they trying to mislead the people ?

A desperate BJP is trying to wrongly portray that the central government has not levied any new tax. The fact is that it is a well settled tradition that in any state which is under President’s rule no new fresh tax is levied when the budget is presented in parliament, in keeping with the spirit of Article 265 of the Constitution. Therefore, the BJP cannot claim credit for what it has not done.

There is not even a single line mention on how the government proposes to check the price-rise and the budget has failed to provide any relief to the common man.

There is no mention in the budget of how water starved areas in Delhi will get adequate supply of water and how the tanker mafia would be eradicated to ensure all residents will have access to clean water.

Before making the announcement about renovating and modernizing water treatment plants to merely show an increased number of such plants, the BJP government should have given adequate attention to the existing plants, which are non-functional due to water scarcity.

Majority of other proposals mentioned in the budget are old and what the previous governments had already stated on record and many of which had been initiated by the AAP government earlier this year. (ENDS)