Kejriwal promises free electricity if voted to power in Gujarat

Kejriwal said as soon as AAP assumed office in Delhi, power companies were warned against raising rates.

Ahmedabad: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Monday promised free electricity in Gujarat, on the lines of Delhi and Punjab, if the party is voted to power in the elections due later this year.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in Ahmedabad on Sunday. (Twitter)

“I will return next Sunday with a solution to solve Gujarat’s electricity problem,” said Kejriwal, who is in poll-bound Gujarat for a two-day visit. He was speaking at a townhall organised here on the issue of electricity supply.

He referred to power cuts and frequent increases in power tariffs in the state and added that it is possible to cut bills without availing loans or introducing new taxes. He referred to his party’s experiences in Delhi — where he is the chief minister — and Punjab where AAP was voted to power this year.

The governments of Delhi and Punjab provide 200 and 300 units respectively to each household.

“In Delhi, 73% of consumers do not have to pay anything for power consumption. Similarly, in the case of Punjab, 80% of users will not have to pay for power consumption. In Delhi, we are providing round-the-clock electricity and we will achieve a similar feat in Punjab in the next 2-2.5 years,” he said.

“Providing free electricity is something like magic. It is an art that only I know. Nobody else in the country is doing it except AAP,” said Kejriwal. He said the secret to achieving this is honesty. “We do not ask for money from power companies; we overhaul the system. We work in the interest of the public.”

Kejriwal said as soon as AAP assumed officein Delhi in 2013, power companies were warned against raising rates. “We told them ‘we have nothing to do with how you dealt with the earlier governments, but our government is honest. We will not ask a single penny from you. In return, you should not raise electricity rates’. In the last seven years, they have not raised the rates.”

He added that if farmers in Gujarat are supplied electricity at night for six to eight hours, then ministers should also work at night for some time. Kejriwal said this in response to a farmer’s complaint that the power supply for agriculture was being provided at night.

Kejriwal also accused ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of falsely claiming that Gujarat does not face power cuts.

BJP spokespersons could not be reached for comment.