HC verdict on discoms: Kejriwal says minor setback, will move SC

The Delhi government has decided to move the Supreme Court against the Delhi high court order on Friday that quashed the executive decision to get the accounts of the three private power distribution companies (discoms) audited by CAG.

The Delhi government has decided to move the Supreme Court against the Delhi high court order on Friday that quashed the executive decision to get the accounts of the three private power distribution companies (discoms) audited by CAG.

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal during the protests against high power tariff in February 2013. (HT File)

Terming the HC order as a ‘temporary setback for the people of Delhi’, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said he was committed to providing cheap electricity to the people.

“The Delhi high court order is a temporary setback for the people of Delhi. Delhi government will soon file an appeal in SC,” Kejriwal said on Twitter.

The audit of discoms has been one of the major poll promises of AAP since 2013. Following its victory in December 2013, the state government had ordered a CAG audit.

After Friday’s verdict, AAP functionaries said, “CAG is a constitutional institution under Art 148 and once it accepts reference for an audit, it must be respected.” The government officials also argued that the Supreme Court made it clear on April 17, 2014, in a judgment that “wherever public money or resources are involved, CAG audit is required”.

Backing the decision of the state government, the AAP leaders said CAG audit was a must as “ to investigate how electricity tariffs were fixed, were the rates at par with neighbouring states, how and at which rate discoms purchased electricity by the earlier Congress regime”.

“The findings of the CAG draft report which have been reported in the media and contents of which haven’t been denied by any concerned party, make it clear that the discoms indulged in a mega financial scam.

Not only have the discoms inflated their regulatory asset claims by thousands of crores, the CAG draft findings have put this exaggerated claim at `8,000 crore,” the party said in a statement.