Arvind Kejriwal said that despite the High Court order cancelling audits of the discoms, he was "committed" to providing cheap electricity.
New Delhi:
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said that the Delhi High Court's move to cancel an audit of the city's three electricity distributors ordered by his government was a "temporary setback".
The Aam Aadmi Party government will now move the Supreme Court against the Delhi High Court order, Mr Kejriwal said.
The three companies - two of which are run by billionaire Anil Ambani's Reliance Infrastructure and one by the Tata Group in joint ventures with the government - had challenged the move.
Today's order by a two-judge panel overturned a ruling by a single judge last January who had asked the companies to "fully cooperate with CAG in the audit process".
The government had said it was not trying to stop the functioning of the distributors or interfere but was only trying to bring them under public audit as it owns 49 per cent of the companies.
This August, a draft report of by the CAG had backed the government, saying that all the three discoms for overcharging customers, partly to recover the costs of their own operating inefficiencies. The report had been strongly challenged by the distributors.
"If whatever has come out is true, then it will be a very big thing. The scam of Rs. 8,000 crore has surfaced. Delhiites will be benefited as tariff will have to be brought down," Mr Kejriwal had said.
The Aam Aadmi Party government will now move the Supreme Court against the Delhi High Court order, Mr Kejriwal said.
I am committed to providing cheap electricity to people of Delhi. Our fight will continue
- Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 30, 2015Del HC order is a temporary setback for the people of Del. Del govt will soon file an appeal in SC.
- Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 30, 2015The three companies - two of which are run by billionaire Anil Ambani's Reliance Infrastructure and one by the Tata Group in joint ventures with the government - had challenged the move.
Today's order by a two-judge panel overturned a ruling by a single judge last January who had asked the companies to "fully cooperate with CAG in the audit process".
The government had said it was not trying to stop the functioning of the distributors or interfere but was only trying to bring them under public audit as it owns 49 per cent of the companies.
This August, a draft report of by the CAG had backed the government, saying that all the three discoms for overcharging customers, partly to recover the costs of their own operating inefficiencies. The report had been strongly challenged by the distributors.
"If whatever has come out is true, then it will be a very big thing. The scam of Rs. 8,000 crore has surfaced. Delhiites will be benefited as tariff will have to be brought down," Mr Kejriwal had said.
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