BJP accuses Delhi govt of 'forcefully removing' hoardings

BJP today accused the city government of "forcefully removing" its hoardings put up across the city to spread awareness about the power tariff issue and how the distribution companies were exploiting them.

BJP on Saturday accused the city government of "forcefully removing" its hoardings put up across the city to spread awareness about the power tariff issue and how the distribution companies were exploiting them.

HT Image

Senior BJP leader VK Malhotra said the party had paid money to concerned agencies to put up the hoardings at DTC bus stops at 30 places.

"We condemn the removal of our hoardings. It is purely illegal," he charged, adding, BJP had put up the hoardings to "make aware the people about how discoms were exploiting consumers."

"In a healthy democracy, opposition has an important role to play by taking up issues concerning people. However, it seems Delhi government does not believe in our democratic set up as it has become so intolerant and and wants to bully the opposition," a BJP statement said.

Upping the ante against the city government for holding back announcement of a new power tariff, BJP yesterday had accused Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit of acting as "CEO" of private discoms, which have been demanding a hike in electricity rates.

In an unusual move, Delhi government on May 4 had forced DERC not to announce the new tariff order, apparently coming under pressure from the three discoms which had complained that their demand for increasing power tariff had not been considered by the regulator while finalising the new tariff structure.

The DERC, which was making last minute preparations to announce the new tariff for the year 2010-11, after receiving the government directive had indicated that it had planned to cut down the tariff by 20 to 25 per cent as discoms would have a surplus of around Rs 4,000 crore if the existing tariff was not tinkered with.