NEWS

AAP is looking at short term gains with subsidies: Arun Jaitley

New Delhi: Attacking Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over providing water subsidy in Delhi, BJP leader Arun Jaitley today said by doing so the AAP Government is looking at "short term gains" and creating debts for tomorrow while ignoring the weakest sections.

"The more you subsidise the more you will have to eventually raise the taxes. Through subsidisation a government thinks of the short term gains. It leaves a debt for tomorrow. A subsidy may prove counter productive for the more vulnerable sections," he said in an article.

Arun Jaitley. AFP

The Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha said the water subsidy has "completely ignored the weakest section of Delhi" and the poorest of Delhi have been kept out of the water subsidy scheme as they do not have piped water supply.

He said localities without a pipeline, households without a tap and meter and houses with defective meters are not entitled to any subsidy.

Households in the NDMC area, particularly of lesser paid employees, and in Delhi Cantonment area have all been kept out of the water subsidy, he said.

"This subsidy ignores the weakest and includes a small layer of people with metered consumption," Jaitley said.

The BJP leader said subsidies are an unquantified amount given to unidentifiable section of people and through subsidies a government does not cut down the rates or the cost, but maintains the existing rates and tariffs and only uses the tax payers money to subsidise a section.

"The more you subsidise the more you will have to eventually raise the taxes," he said.

He said subsidies make the health of supply organisations vulnerable and the real challenge is that those outside the water supply system must be connected to it.

This he said, can be achieved through laying down pipelines in every locality and installation of taps in every house can only be provided by a healthy board and not a financially vulnerable DJB.

Jaitley said Delhi has about 18 lakh water connections, of which 8.5 lakh have functional meters and about 5 lakh meters are non functional or defective while the rest are un-metered.

"The scope of the benefit has narrowed down to just some of the households falling in one of the above four categories. And this category is not the most vulnerable section," he said.

PTI

Virbhadra Singh denies charges as BJP increases pressure for his resignation

New Delhi: Facing allegations of corruption, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today made it clear to Congress that there is no truth in the charges even as BJP mounted pressure by moving the Election Commission seeking action against him and his wife for "hiding facts"
about their income to the poll body.

Rushing to the capital, Singh presented his version of the issue to Congress General Secretary Ambika Soni, who is in-charge of the state after BJP alleged that he had taken a "bribe" from a private power company to grant extension to its project.

Virbharda Singh. AFP image

The Chief Minister, however, could not meet party chief Sonia Gandhi as also Rahul Gandhi, who was not in Delhi.

Singh had flown to the national capital yesterday to explain his position to the party high command. During the meeting with Soni, he is understood to have stated that it was a malicious campaign by the BJP.

The charges against him have come at a time when Congress is seeking to take a high moral ground on the issue of corruption.

On its part, BJP stepped up its attack on Singh on the issue and demanded his resignation. It accused Singh and his wife Pratibha Singh, an MP, of "hiding facts about their incomes in affidavits filed during polls".

Party MP and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha chief Anurag Thakur met Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath and handed over a memorandum demanding action against Singh and his wife.

"Virbhadra Singh should resign immediately. Let Congress decide on any other candidate for chief ministership. This is the fifth corruption charge against Singh.

"This is also a test for Congress to act against him to prove if it is really serious on the issue of corruption. This will also prove the leadership of Rahul Gandhi whether he means what he has been saying on corruption or is it only double-speak," Thakur said.

Pratibha Singh, who is the Congress MP from Mandi and also facing corruption allegations, met a number of senior party leaders at the AICC headquarters here on Tuesday to explain her position on the issue.

PTI

AAP’s message: mass movements are prediction-resistant

Over the last few days since the AAP came to power in Delhi, both the BJP and the Congress, have gotten back to their routine game of dumping down. What's conspicuously missing is the bewilderment that gripped them when the former recorded a stunning victory.

The biggest learning for the BJP and the Congress in Delhi elections should have been that that the AAP was prediction-resistant. Every single prediction of the debutant by both the national parties went wrong, and in hindsight symbolised arrogance and complete ignorance of public sentiments. When they were proved wrong, they were certainly baffled and worried; BJP more so because they were so certain that Narendra Modi was ready to ride them back to power.

AAP volunteers. AFP

As a result, they appeared modest for a few days with the rabid spokespersons of both the parties trying to eat back their words because the AAP shattered their predictions and arrogance. But, on the day of the AAP's first announcement on water, the parties were back to their original self. The second decision on electricity made it pretty obvious that their guards were down permanently.

Now they consider AAP as yet another political party like theirs which have time-tested standard operating procedures to survive, govern and get ahead in our petty bourgeoisie politics. No wonder, they find both the decisions of AAP—which were part of their manifesto—nothing but populism. They don't seem to understand the language of universal access to essential services such as water and energy.

In politics, this is bound to happen. However, what both the BJP and the Congress seem to have forgotten too quickly is AAP's prediction-resistance because it contained a message from the people who voted and rooted for them. A political message that mass movements are unpredictable, and as Noam Chomsky said, "anarchism is a tendency in human thought which shows up in different forms in different circumstances". Some leaders did call Kejriwal and his band of supporters anarchists as if it was apolitical.

AAP's rapid emergence was a mass movement indeed. Otherwise, it wouldn't have risen to such political significance in less than a year of its birth. History shows that dynamics of such movements are completely unknown because they are not driven by a big organisation, but spontaneously generated from within. The intrinsic momentum is unnoticeable until it tips the surface. Till then, it's individuals and communities acting on their own, some times joining hands and acting together.

This is precisely what happened with the AAP. The party energised a number of individuals and communities, but the bigger thrust came from within the people - out of their anguish, aspirations and most importantly, hope. Its potential was unknown. Political leaders and experts tried to predict its depth, but realised later that they were foolish to measure something that was immeasurable.

Several parts of the world in the recent past have witnessed the same unpredictability in mass movements - the uprising against the commercialisation of Turkey, victorious protests in Canada and Europe against the shutting down of a pipeline and Monsanto respectively, and the well-known occupy movements against the Wall Street and the European Central Bank. Of course, we also have the examples such as the Arab Spring.

This unpredictability is the AAP's USP.

And we have seen only a fraction of that in Delhi. We possibly cannot imagine how it will pan out across India; but our old style political leaders have no qualms in launching into predictions: they say that AAP cannot scale up across the country because Delhi is not India.

What the conventional politicians, including the asset-rich CPM, should realise is that if the AAP sentiment can move people across India, it can indeed build into invisible undercurrents, which in due course can join together to form tidal waves. As the AAP ideologue Yogendra Yadav said in his interview with Indian Express, it is not about substitutes, but about alternatives. So far, our best option was a substitute.

The well-entrenched politicians should realise that their arithmetic of substitutes will come under considerable stress sooner than later. The only way to survive is to change ways by respecting people. And that will be about letting go of the past and looking forward to respecting people.

Shiromani Akali Dal accuses AAP of copying its policies

Amritsar: AAP government's move to provide relief to Delhi residents in power and water bills is nothing new, but the nascent party has simply followed what Akalis have already done in Punjab, ruling Shiromani Akali Dal claimed today.

"By slashing power tariff and providing rebates in water bills, AAP is doing nothing new but only following what Akalis have already done in Punjab," Punjab Cabinet minister Bikram Singh Majithia said here.

"The Punjab government is far ahead of all other states on pro-people policies," he said.

Majithia claimed that the 'Khula Darbar', as proposed by AAP, is also an emulation of 'Sangat Darshan Programme' being run by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in Punjab.

Schemes like Atta Dal, Shagun, cashless treatment of cancer patients, scholarships for SC/OBC, free power for tubewells are running successfully in Punjab, he said.

"The Punjab government need not turn a copy cat on what AAP is trying to do," he said.

PTI

People of Delhi won’t forgive Congress if they withdraw support: Prashant Bhushan

Mumbai: People of Delhi won't forgive Congress if it withdraws support to the Arvind Kejriwal-led government, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Prashant Bhushan said here today.

He said Lok Sabha elections are the next target for his party after the "success" in Delhi assembly polls. "We are not in an alliance with Congress. Congress gave support because of its own compulsions. We said we won't accept any conditions," Bhushan told reporters here.

Prashant Bhushan. PTI image

To a query what would AAP do if Congress withdraws support, Bhushan said "the people of Delhi won't forgive Congress in next polls if it pulls down the people's government."

"You are aware that we did not start out for electoral politics nor for grabbing power. Our aim was Jan Lokpal and corruption-free India. But the big parties taunted us that we won't be able to defeat them in polls," the senior Supreme Court advocate said.

"We also felt that people want a change. We elected them (politicians) for five years and they take graft from big companies and make laws which are not in people's interest," he said.

AAP's mission is to bring about a transformation in the country to ensure democratic and legal rights to the common man, he said.

The present power structures in the country, including the judicial system, do not guarantee meaningful participation of and rights to the vast majority of people, Bhushan said.

It was time that radical changes were brought about in every sphere of the polity including bureaucracy, police and judiciary, he said.

"We formed the party out of compulsion," he said. The results of Delhi polls had damaged the ego of big political parties, he said while describing BJP as "overtly communal" and Congress as "covertly communal."

PTI

Narendra Modi’s rally in Bareilly cancelled

Lucknow: BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's rally in Bareilly on January 13 has been cancelled, a party leader said today.

The rally was cancelled as it was coinciding with an event duing urs of Hazrat Shah Sharafat Miyan and the Utrayani fair, UP BJP chief spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak told PTI.

The local party unit had also expressed difficulties in organising the 'Vijay Shankhnaad' rally, he said.

Narendra Modi. AP image

As the dates of Modi's other public meetings could not be postponed, the rally, therefore, has been cancelled, he said.

The spokesman said Modi will address rallies in Gorakhpur on January 23 and in Meerut on February one.

A 'Vijay Shankhnaad Maha Rally' will be organised on March 2 in Lucknow, Pathak said.

PTI

In 2014, words to avoid: What the heck is ‘aspirational’?

This is the age of the highly visible public intellectual. They are a nuisance—fundamentally an assault on your intellect—but the proliferation of the media ensures that there's no escaping them. If they are not around, the media would create them. As we enter 2014, let's hope we get respite from certain words and expressions they cannot avoid putting into use.

Aspiration: You are no political pundit if don't use the words 'aspiration' and 'aspirational' enough. Yes, the words have an 'uplifting' quality about them. These make sentences look good, lend them gravitas. These make both the reader and pundit feel more intelligent than the average others. Great, but what the heck do these mean?

Going by the frequency 'aspiration' is being ascribed to every development around us—the anti-graft movement, the Delhi gangrape protests, the participation at Narendra Modi's rallies, the rise of the Aam Aadmi Party and what not—it appears India is suddenly witnessing the emergence of a genetically mutated new generation. This generation is totally different from the pre-1990s youth, who, the experts would imply without being direct, were absolute morons with no sense of self-belief and no ideas for change. They were spineless defeatists who made compromises to survive. Their indifference allowed corruption and other aberrations to flourish in the country.

Protesting crime against women. PTI

The genetic mutation, experts would have us believe, started after the liberalisation of the economy and the subsequent creation of a new middle class. This class aspires for more and is impatient with inefficiency and whatever comes in the way of it aspiration. Well, no contesting this. Such sweeping and apparently profound generalisations always leave you a bit confused - there's no way to either prove or disprove these. But what drives the pundits to the conclusion that 'aspiration' is a recent discovery? Didn't we have student, youth movements in India earlier? Is anti-corruption protest a new phenomenon in the country? Was the JP movement 'desperational'?

We won't get clear answers to those, but would our experts please go slow on 'aspiration'?

Povertarian: You are no experts on politics these days unless you pontificate on economy too. 'Economists' appear to have hijacked the political discourse in the country, mauling numbers and arm-twisting facts to fit these into a pre-determined political conclusion. Good old commentators don't want to be left out. What better way to establish your credentials than joining the chorus and criticising a Joseph Stiglitz and an Amartya Sen? So what if they won the Nobel prize, it does not mean they understand Economics. How silly of them to suggest that public education and health should be an important concern of the government! How stupid are they to suggest that capitalism has to be saved from capitalists!

Coining new words such as 'povertarian' is good for one's ego, but the 'experts' must realize poverty and the poor won't ever disappear from the country's political discourse. Politics will shape the nature of the economy and it won't ever be the other way around. This is for the simple reason that poverty is no creative fiction; it actually exists in the country. India is a democracy which allows universal adult franchise; it would ensure that poor and people would always hold primacy over doctrinaire economics. Here's a piece of unsolicited advice: it's good to think economy, but try to bring in a sense of balance. Politics is much bigger than numbers and economics in its scope and range.

Ah! The stupid past: Historians are a blessed lot. They have the privilege of using the rearview mirror to access the past. They enrich our lives by taking us back and enlightening us with nuggets of knowledge dug out from the debris of time. So far so good. Now the intriguing part: why do they need to look foolish by making judgmental interpretations of the evens of the past?

India would have been an economic power house had Nehru embraced capitalism soon after Independence. Had X been prime minister instead of Y, the country would be free of all troubles. Had India annexed the whole of J&K back then, we would not have the vexatious problem then. Had Indira Gandhi not nationalised banks our growth story would be different. How many times have you heard these arguments from 'experts' in recent times? However, it shocks when historians with sound reputation mouth such lines. They have the domain knowledge, unlike other experts. They know establishing the cause and effect link between one event of the past with another is tenuous. They also know several forces combine to shape history and no development or event is a product of a single stimulus. The chain of events that could follow an action is difficult to predict. History cannot render itself to selective reading, interpretation and loaded extrapolation.

Why are historians bent on giving their profession a bad name? It is possible being celebrity talking heads in the media is driving them nuts. Someone must tell them not to mix history with politics.

Populism: In the current political discourse, this one comes close to being the equivalent of a four-letter cuss word. Listen to the talking heads in every media and you realise how deeply everyone hates the populist. If parties lose elections, the investors shy away from the country or there is a market crash it has to be due to populism. The meaning of the term, one must admit, is steeped in ambiguity, seen at least from the 'expert's' point of view. All parties indulge in it, but victories are, as if as a rule, are ascribed to the development agenda and defeats to pro-people proclivity, read populism, of parties. We still don't know how in a democracy elected governments can delink themselves from basic issues of people. Growth and creation of wealth are an acceptable option, but can governments be in endless wait for percolation of wealth to all economics sections to happen? Would people wait? Of course, not. In case the anti-populism lobby feels it is winning, it should give AAP a careful look. Reaction against the lobby is building up silently. Experts should read the warning signals right.

Former BJP MLA from Gujarat joins AAP

Ahmedabad: Former BJP MLA Kanu Kalsariya, who spearheaded the agitation against Nirma's cement plant in his constituency, today joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the presence of its national executive member Dinesh Vaghela. Kalsariya, who had contested from Gariadhar seat in
the 2012 Assembly elections under the banner of 'Sadbhavana Manch' and lost, joined AAP amid party workers and supporters at the District Collectorate here.

Arvind Kejriwal. AFP.

When asked if he would contest against Modi in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Kalsariya said a decision regarding whether he would contest the elections and against whom would be decided by the party and he would go by that. Amid his supporters wielding brooms and chants of "Aam Aadmi Zindabad," Kalsariya, a gynaecologist by profession, candidly admitted that he was about to join the Congress party just before joining AAP.

"I wanted to join the Congress party as there was no other option. I would have made a mistake had I done so. AAP is a symbol of people's power. And, they showed it in Delhi," he said. "Gujarat has never got a third alternative apart from BJP and Congress. AAP, as a third political alternative, will turn a new chapter in Indian politics in 2014," he said.

AAP claims to have registered 20,000 members offline and 50,000 members online across the state following the party's spectacular showing in the Assembly elections in Delhi, where the party won 28 of the 70 seats. Retired IAS officer A R Bharadwaj, who was the director of Mahatma Gandhi Labour Institute, also joined the Aam Aadmi Party.

When asked why he had joined AAP, Bharadwaj said, "Throughout my professional career, I felt suffocated. If I did good work, I would be harassed. But, AAP is a people's party. It gives an opportunity to do good for people."

PTI

Youths protest BJP corruption outside Rajnath Singh’s residence

New Delhi:A group of youths, who claimed they were members of the NSUI and the Youth Congress, Wednesday staged a protest near BJP president Rajnath Singh's residence here, police said. The two organisations said they had nothing to do with it.

The protesters marched towards Rajnath Singh's Ashoka Road residence in the heart of national capital, but were stopped by police a few hundred metres away.

Rajnath SIngh. Reuters image

Police used batons to chase away the protesters.

However, a spokesperson for the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) denied any involvement of the Congress-affiliated students' organisation in the protest.

The protest comes a day after Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Tuesday protested near Rahul Gandhi's residence demanding removal of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who has been accused of graft.

IANS

Modi to address rally in Goa on 12 January

Panaji: BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi will address a rally here on January 12 which will set the tone for the party's campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls. Modi's rally on the outskirts of Panaji next week is expected to be attended by over a lakh people. Party president Rajnath Singh will also be present for the rally.

State Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who heads the organising committee for the public rally, told reporters today said this would be the only rally to be addressed by Modi in Goa in the run up to the Lok Sabha polls. BJP has already informally announced the candidature of sitting MP Sripad Naik from North Goa seat and its state general secretary Narendra Sawaikar for South Goa.

Narendra Modi. Agencies.

Parrikar said the formal announcement of candidates would be done only after party's parliamentary board clears the names. The Chief Minister said the party leaders will be visiting households to invite people for the rally, while he himself will tour 16 constituencies. The party will collect Rs five each from those attending the rally.

"When a person pays to attend the rally it indicates that he feels a sense of belonging with it," he said justifying the decision for a ticket to the event.The money collected would be used to meet the expenses for the rally, he said. Modi is likely to focus on the local issues in his speech. Parrikar said the party organisation will brief him about the issues, but "I am not aware about what Modi will speak."

This is the second public meeting that Modi will address in Goa. Soon after he was made the chairman of the BJP's election campaign committee during the national executive last year, Modi had addressed a public meeting at Taleigao near Panaji.

PTI

Goa CM Manohar Parrikar praises Kejriwal

Panaji: IIT alumnus Arvind Kejriwal has shown the right intent. "Now people have to wait and see if he can deliver on his promises," Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, also an IIT graduate, said on Wednesday.

Arvind Kejriwal. Agencies.

"He has shown the right intent. Let us see if he can deliver," Parrikar told reporters at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state headquarters.

Parrikar studied metallurgy at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Powai.

He was the only chief minister with an educational stint at the prestigious chain of institutes, until Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal, who passed out of the equally elite IIT Kharagpur, was sworn in as chief minister of Delhi last month.

IANS

No plans of floating new party, says Kiran Kumar Reddy

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who rebelled against the Congress high command over the state's bifurcation, today maintained that he has no plans of floating a new political party.

"I have no such thoughts," the Chief Minister told reporters during an informal chat on the occasion of New Year's Day at his camp office this afternoon, putting the strong rumours on the issue to rest.

Kiran Kumar Reddy. AFP

Speculation had been rife over the past few months that the Chief Minister would walk out of Congress and launch his own political party, banking on his new-found image as a 'champion' of a united Andhra Pradesh.

Ever since the Congress' Central Working Committee adopted a resolution to bifurcate AP and create a new state of Telangana, Kiran had been vehemently opposing it.

He asserted many a times in the last five months that the draft Bill — referred to the state Legislature under Article 3 of the Constitution — would be defeated and dared the Congress high command and the Central government to go ahead with the bifurcation process in the event.

Kiran, however, stressed today that he was speaking only against the Congress' decision (on bifurcation) and never defied the party as such.

"Even people of Telangana region are seeking a united state," the Chief Minister told reporters who went to greet him on New Year's Day.

"I have received several requests from Telangana people for keeping the state united and that's my wish too," Kiran added.

"Right now, I am focusing on the debate in the Legislature on the draft AP Reorganisation Bill-2013. If the debate takes place, we can deliberate in detail on the losses and gains to each region if the state is bifurcated or not," the Chief Minister pointed out.

Reacting to YSR Congress' threat that it would not let the debate (on the draft Bill) take place in the Assembly, the Chief Minister noted that it would be better if the party took part in the debate rather than create a ruckus outside (the House).

PTI

Virbhadra should resign immediately: Anurag Thakur after meeting CEC

New Delhi: BJP today stepped up its attack on Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on corruption charges and demanded his resignation and also sought Election Commission's action against him and his wife for "hiding" facts about their incomes in affidavits filed during polls.

Party MP and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha chief Anurag Thakur today met Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath and handed over a memorandum demanding action against Singh and his MP wife Pratibha Singh.

Anurag Thakur. AFP

"Virbhadra Singh should resign immediately. Let Congress decide on any other candidate for chief ministership. This is the fifth corruption charge against Singh.

"This is also a test for Congress to act against him to prove if it was really serious on the issue of corruption. This will also prove the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, to prove if he means what he has been saying on corruption or is it only double-speak," Thakur told PTI.

On the memorandum to EC, he said the CEC has been asked to initiate action "as per law against Singh and his wife for hiding certain vital information about his income in the affidavits filed before the EC in last assembly polls and Mandi Lok Sabha bypolls."

Thakur alleged that Singh neither disclosed the money received from the power company promoter nor did he give details of his wife and children's shareholding in the power company subsidiary in his affidavit filed before the EC.

He further alleged that his wife Pratibha did not give details of her husband and children's 3.4 lakh shares owned by her in the power company subsidiary who has benefitted, even as she disclosed other shareholding owned by her.

PTI

BJP presses for HP CM Virbhadra Singh’s resignation

New Delhi: Pressing for Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh's resignation over allegations of corruption, the BJP Wednesday moved the Election Commission and called upon the Congress leadership to take action against him.

Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha president Anurag Thakur, MP, met Chief Election Commissioner V.S. Sampath Wednesday and sought action against Virbhadra Singh saying he had hidden information in his election affidavits.

The party has alleged that promoter of Venture Energy and Technology Pvt Ltd., which had been given extension for a pending hydropower project by the Himachal government, had made cheque payments of Rs.3.5 crore "to Virbhadra Singh and his wife Pratibha Singh".

Virbhadra Singh. PTI image

The Bharatiya Janata Party further alleged that the money had been shown as loan, and Virbhadra Singh and his family had become shareholders in another firm belonging to the promoter of the power company.

Thakur said the Himachal chief minister had not declared the payments or the shares in his election affidavits.

"We told the Election Commission that if Virbhadra Singh has hidden information, strict action should be taken against him," Thakur told IANS, adding that the poll panel had assured them that appropriate action will be taken in the matter.

Thakur, MP from Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh, said this also raised a question mark on Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's stance against corruption.

He said: "Today is the first day of the new year. He (Rahul Gandhi) can start with the resignations of the chief minister and his wife."

Pratibha Singh is Congress MP from Mandi.

IANS

Virbhadra meets Ambika Soni, rubbishes graft allegations

New Delhi: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who is in the eye of a storm over corruption charges against him, today presented his version of the issue to Congress General Secretary Ambika Soni, who is in-charge of the state.

He, however, could not meet party chief Sonia Gandhi as also Rahul Gandhi, who was not in Delhi.

Virbhadra Singh. AFP

Singh had rushed to the national capital yesterday to explain his position to the party high command after BJP alleged that he had taken a "bribe" from a private power company to grant extension to its project.

During the meeting with Soni, he is understood to have rubbished the allegations and shown certain documents pertaining to the matter.

The charges against him have come at a time when Congress is seeking to take a high moral ground on the issue of corruption.

Virbhadra Singh's wife Pratibha Singh, who is the Congress MP from Mandi and also facing corruption allegations, also met a number of senior party leaders at the AICC headquarters yesterday to explain her position on the issue.

Singh has slammed the opposition party of indulging in "malicious propaganda" against him and his family and denied the allegations saying they were "politically motivated".

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley had alleged that he had taken a "bribe" from a private company for extension of a power project in the state.

Singh while denying the charges insisted that he had taken no bribe and issued an eight-page statement seeking to rebut Jaitley's charges point by point.

"Frustrated BJP leaders are fabricating false stories and twisting and tampering facts to suit their convinence. They have been waging the same old issues pertaining to my income tax return and loan taken by my family, which have been replied and clarified time and again and there is nothing material or new in them" Singh said.

"As the Congress party and the government in the state has started to grow from strength to strength and the wrongdoings of the previous BJP govenment especially former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and his sons are getting exposed, personal attacks against me have grown in equal momentum and volume," he said.

PTI

Congress, BJP should support AAP over public issues: Binny

Ghaziabad: Ahead of the vote of confidence in Delhi Assembly on Thursday, Aam Aadmi Party legislator Vinod Kumar Binny today said the BJP and Congress should support the government over issues pertaining to the people.

"There are several public-related schemes which we are yet to implement. We have asked both Congress and BJP to support us, so that we are able to fulfil all public-related promises," he told reporters in Ghaziabad.

Aam Aadmi Party legislator Vinod Kumar Binny. PTI

Binny said Kejriwal has a throat infection and has been advised rest.

"Despite this, Kejriwal would go to Delhi Assembly today. He will leave for Delhi Legislative Assembly from his house around 1 pm," he said.

Talking to reporters outside Kejriwal's residence, AAP leader Sanjay Singh said, "We have formed government in Delhi keeping 18 issues in mind. If AAP wins confidence vote, Kejriwal-led government would work on such issues."

Asked if AAP has 24 hours left to run the government, Singh said, "We don't know what would happen when the confidence motion comes up in the Assembly tomorrow."

The first session of the Delhi Assembly begins today and will continue till 7 January during which the Arvind Kejriwal-led government will seek a vote of confidence on the floor of the House.

In the 70-member assembly, AAP has 28 MLAs, eight short of a majority. AAP has the support of 8 MLAs of Congress, which is expected to see across the half-way mark. BJP has 31 members and its ally Akali Dal one.

On Monday, AAP named first-time MLA MS Dhir as its candidate for Speaker's post.

Senior Congress MLA Mateen Ahmad will be the pro-tem speaker. A pro-tem Speaker presides over proceedings relating to taking of oath by new members and other business till the election of Speaker.

PTI

Decision on audit of power companies in Delhi on Wednesday: Kejriwal

New Delhi: The final decision on the audit of power companies in the national capital will be taken Wednesday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said.

"The power companies were supposed to send their replies by (Wednesday) noon, the final decision will be taken today," he told reporters outside Delhi assembly.

Arvind Kejriwal.

Kejriwal, who took oath as chief minister Saturday, fulfilled his second major election promise Tuesday, reducing power tariff through subsidy, a move expected to benefit an estimated 28 lakh households.

Those consuming up to 400 units -- up to 200 units and 201 to 400 units -- of electricity a month would now get a 50 percent subsidy.

Kejriwal had Tuesday expressed hope that after the audit, there would be no need for subsidy.

He Wednesday agreed that slashing electricity rates through subsidy was not a sustainable solution.

"This is not a sustainable way. That is why an audit is needed. This is just to give some relief to the people till a long-term solution is found," he said.

Kejriwal had Tuesday met Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Shashi Kant Sharma to seek an audit of the three power distribution companies in the capital.

The three discoms in question -- Reliance companies BSES, BSES Rajdhani (BRPL) and BSES Yamuna (BYPL) -- have had their accounts described earlier by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as being "fudged and unreliable" and thus untrustworthy regarding their revenues situation.

IANS

 

Telangana Bill to rock Andhra Assembly session resuming on 3 Jan

Hyderabad: The winter session of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, resuming on 3 January, is expected to generate much heat as the debate on the draft Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation bill, 2013 is on the agenda.

The winter session of the Assembly began on 12 December and the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the house had decided to take up a debate on the draft bill, but that did not happen due to the din over the issue. The Assembly was adjourned on 19 December for resumption on 3 January.

The President had given time till 23 January for the legislature to return the draft bill after due deliberations when he sent it to the Assembly on 12 December.

Telangana supporters. Reuters

The members are vertically divided on regional lines with those from Telangana seeking the House to quickly return the bill to the President giving its views in support of separate statehood for the region, while their Seemandhra (as Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema are together known) counterparts
opposing it.

The draft bill and debate in the assembly is expected to generate much heat as both the sides have called for protests in support of their respective demands during the session.

TRS and other pro-Telangana outfits have planned to organise a massive sit-in in Hyderabad early this month to press for their demand that the proposed Telangana state should not have any restrictions like law and order being entrusted to Governor. This was contemplated as a way of
addressing the concerns of safety and security to Seemandhra people living in Hyderabad.

Significantly, TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao had met state Panchayat Raj Minister K Jana Reddy and other Telangana leaders last month and they decided to work in coordination over the draft bill and others in the interest of Telangana people.

On the other hand, the pro-united Andhra employees and others have called for a shut-down on January 3, when the session resumes, in protest against the draft bill being taken up for debate. The pro-united Andhra outfits plan to step up their protests during the debate in the legislature.

Some sections in the Seemandhra camp are opposed to any form of debate on the draft bill on the ground that it may amount to agreeing to division, while others favour participating in the debate on the draft and voicing their opposition.

There are some who argue that the members should try to delay debate on the draft bill and seek more time from President so that division can be prevented before the fast-approaching 2014 general elections.

YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), now campaigning against the division of Andhra Pradesh, asserts that the legislature should first pass a resolution in favour of keeping the state united to preempt bifurcation.

Some Seemandhra Congress MPs and others suggest that the members from the two regions participate in the debate and record their opposition to the division.

PTI

Why only power? 6 more audits Kejriwal can initiate in 2014

The audit of power companies by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) that Arvind Kejriwal, the new Chief Minister of Delhi, has initiated on the last day of 2013 could go well into 2014. Already, there are political noises around this audit - Congress supporters are saying that former chief minister had approved it in 2012, while the BJP is calling it "opportunistic politics".

If the presumption of an audit of private companies is that the fall in transmission and distribution losses should have seen a commensurate cut in power bills in a system where regulation is being seen to be compromised, the audit is timely. If CAG's investigations show that indeed there is some over-invoicing of costs to associate companies and the hike in tariffs is unfair, it would be a political economy victory for Kejriwal, whose Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) now aspires to go national. And if the audit comes up with no such expose, it would end this debate and move the spoilt capital towards paying user charges.

But why stop at power? Here's a list of six more audits that must be undertaken in the New Year. We don't know how long the AAP government will last, so perhaps initiating them in the first 14 days may be wise.

PTI

Water. The political promise of delivering 20 kl of free water notwithstanding, this would be a good time to audit water meters. Every other household has a non-functioning meter and households in which the meters work complain about over-billing. Something's amiss, which perhaps the CAG could decipher.

Regularisation. Every government has been giving unauthorised residential colonies post-facto legitimacy through a process of regularisation. This has led to a process under which people, under the watch of politicians and builders, buy cheap and hence illegal land and apartments that they know will get legalised later. This process of giving political support to law breakers must end. An audit of beneficiaries of the past decade and existing households in unauthorised colonies would be a good starting point. While on the subject, would it be too much to expect the AAP government to end this cycle of illegal wealth creation?

Stamp duty. The introduction and updation of circle rates is a good exercise. But how accurate is it? While budget estimates for stamps and registration add up to Rs 4,300 crore and is the second-largest revenue source for the Delhi government after VAT, this can easily be doubled if randomised audits are done across properties.

Hospitals. Among the various rules that govern private hospitals is one that says that they need to reserve 10 percent of their beds for households from economically weaker sections (EWS); further, 25 percent in OPD (outpatients department) must be form EWS. A one-time, intense audit now and an annual review would help see how far hospitals have followed this policy.

Schools. Teacher absenteeism is a chronic problem in government schools. It would be worthwhile knowing why students in uniforms hang around in DDA parks, smoking and playing gilli-danda or cricket, when they should be in school. Where have the highly-paid teachers gone, where do their children study? A CAG audit would help.

Auto-rickshaws. I challenge any AAP member or government official to walk with me to a random auto-rickshaw and reach where she wants to without paying anything more than what the meter says. Why don't their meters work? Is it something to do with defective meters or are the drivers above the law, particularly since they supported AAP during elections? Only one way to find out: a CAG audit.

This list is merely indicative. I'm sure if the AAP government used its governance-by-surveys tool, it would be able to multiply this list - lack of pavements, chaotic parking, broken roads…the list is as long as it is rich. Happy auditing in 2014.

Beyond Delhi: How the AAP is readying to win over Haryana

He may be the party's potential chief ministerial candidate in the state of Haryana when the state goes to the polls in October, but that's the last thing on Yogendra Yadav's mind as he prepares the party for its campaign there.

After the party's unbelievable performance in neighbouring Delhi, Haryana was expected to be the next target of the party given the many allegations of corruption in the state, the key campaign issue for the Aam Aadmi Party.

"There is corruption everywhere in this state. Be it land allocation for industry, agriculture, or a mere government job, everything is affected by a systematic corruption," Yogendra Yadav, the AAP's chief ideologue, said.

According to Yadav, the AAP's victory in Delhi had laid the foundation for the party in the neighbouring state. Yadav, who hails from Rewari in Haryana himself, believes they have already identified the main areas of corruption in the state.

Representational image. Reuters

"One big corruption issue is the nexus of corrupt bureaucrats and political leaders to rig the process of recruiting government employees. The politicians and there relatives are earning in crores by rigging the recruitment system,"Yadav said.

The allegations of land scams in the state are also expected to be a key issue that the party will be focussing on.

But beyond its pet issue of corruption the party believes that there are enough social and economic issues affecting the people of the state on which they can build their campaign on.

"One of our primary concerns is to address the plight of the farmers. Farmers in Haryana are earning way less than the minimum support price and precious little has been done by the government to relieve the farmers," Rajeev Godhara, the sate convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party, said.

However, while the leaders of the party sound confident of connecting with the electorate in the state and beating the Congress government, activists in rural areas of Haryana say the issues that affect voters are very different from those that affect the residents of urban centres like Delhi.

"The major issue in these parts of Haryana is the issue of caste. The party has to reach out the Dalits in the state and address their plight," Vinit Aggarwal, a lawyer, said.

Aggarwal was one of many who attended a programme conducted by AAP leader Yogendra Yadav to recruit volunteers to work for the party and his views find resonance among members of the Dalit community.

"I want them to talk about the problems I face everyday," Harinder Kumar, a member of the Dality community, said.

"We cannot build toilets for ourselves because we live in land that belongs to Jats. Our women are still facing the worst everyday," he said.

The AAP has already declared that it will not address any community specifically.

"We want to take up issues which resonates with all classes in the society and not caste politics," Praveen Singh, who is overseeing the party's campaign in Haryana along with Yadav, said.

Whether the party's approach is viable is in doubt given that the state, according to the 2011 census, has almost 2.5 crore people who belong to the Dalit community and would be an important constituency for the AAP to gain the support of.

A key constituency the party is focussing on is that of women, who barely come out in support of political movements or parties in the state and Yadav is already taking steps to ensure that this changes.

"It's my request to our supporters, please include your female family members in the rallies and campaigns," Yadav said, addressing a rally.

Even though Haryana presents a completely different political landscape when compared to Delhi, if the reception of the people is anything to go by, the AAP may just the contender to watch out for in the October elections.

Rahul is natural leader of Congress, says Manish Tewari

New Delhi: Amid talk of Congress preparing to project Rahul Gandhi as its Prime Ministerial candidate, Union Minister Manish Tewari today said the party Vice President is its "natural leader". He, however, dismissed as "unnecessary speculation" the media reports about the possibility of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh resigning, saying, "I know on December 31 there is little news but this does not mean that absurd, baseless and incorrect news stories should be run."

Rahul Gandhi. AFP.

The Information and Broadcasting Minister said the way news had been running since morning, showed that there was need for responsibility. "This is absolutely baseless and without facts. I don't want to lend any decorum to such questions by reacting to them," he said.

Addressing a press conference here, Tewari said Singh, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are the "trinity" of Congress. He was asked about the possibility of Rahul Gandhi being projected as the Congress' Prime Ministerial candidate and the timing for the same.

"Rahul Gandhi is the natural leader of the Congress," Tewari replied. At the same time, he went on to add that "There is no dearth of leaders in the Congress." Asked about the timing of the possible announcement of a Prime Ministerial nominee, he noted that Sonia Gandhi has already said that if there is a need to declare a candidate, it will be done at a proper time and there was no need for any hurry.

His remarks came a day after senior Congress leader and Finance Minister P Chidambaram said the party should declare its Prime Ministerial candidate. Tewari also suggested that the recent drubbing suffered by the Congress in four Assembly elections should not be a demoralising factor.

PTI

Cong takes dig at Kejriwal, says partymen are leaving AAP

New Delhi: Congress today took potshots at Arvind Kejriwal for his statement that he was running the government assuming that his party has just 48 hours, wondering whether Aam Admi Party MLAs are deserting the party.

"I do not know whether some of his partymen are leaving. This information is not with us. BJP cannot ensure the fall of AAP government. They do not have the numbers for this. Congress has announced support for them (AAP)and we have not made any change in that decision.

Shakeel Ahmad. AFP

"We have already decided to give our MLA for Speaker as they demanded. So naturally, Congress does not want the government to fall and BJP cannot do it even if it wants. If some MLAs from Kejriwal's party are deserting it, we have no information. Only Kejriwal will have that information," AICC general secretary in charge for Delhi Shakeel Ahmed said.

Ahead of the trust vote on 2 January, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said he wants to do maximum good for the people in the next 48 hours whether his government stays or not.

"Not sure of Congress and BJP. We are not bothered whether the government survives or not. We are running the government assuming that we have just 48 hours with us. We want to do the maximum good to the people, if we can in this time," he told reporters.

Congress leader Ahmed ridiculed these remarks of Kejriwal but weclomed the decisions on tariff cut in power and water by AAP government.

"These were the committments that they had made and hence should be fulfilled. Announcements are being made. Let the announcements be implemented and it will be clear in four-six months whether people of Delhi benefit or not. If they bring benefits to people, it should be welcomed," he said.

The Aam Aadmi government today announced a 50 percent subsidy on power consumption upto 400 units in Delhi. The cut in the electricity tariff came a day after Kejriwal announced supply of 20 kilolitres of water free of cost. Both were key election promises by AAP.

PTI

Steps taken by Kejriwal’s govt present confusing picture: Sheila Dikshit

New Delhi: The steps taken by Arvind Kejriwal led AAP government present a "confusing picture" and only time will tell how he fulfils his promises, former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said today.

"It is very difficult to comment at this time about what his plan of action will be. His moves are forming a confusing picture," Dikshit said today.

Sheila Dikshit. PTI

"He is definitely trying to fulfill the promises AAP has made in his manifestos but only time will tell. Let's see how he does it," she said.

Trying to find a chink in Kejriwal's armour, Dikshit said, "They have announced 20 kilolitres of free water to every household with a meter connection. But those who don't have the connection will not get it and also whether Delhi Jal Board will be able to bear this burden of free water, it remains to be seen."

Quizzed about whether the newly formed AAP government will be able to reduce the power tariffs, Dikshit said, "That's probably why he has gone to CAG. He doesn't want the companies to audit, he wants to do it. If CAG agrees, then it's well and good."

Dikshit was speaking on the sidelines of the launch of a book's second edition titled 'Blunders and Way Out'.

The book written by Prof Bhim Singh, Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party, is an account of the so called 'blunders' committed by the leaders in Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir since 1846.

"There is a lot of distorted information available about Jammu and Kashmir on internet which might prevent the future generations to know about the actual situation and problems that have existed in the state in past and still continue to exist," Bhim Singh said.

PTI

Raje does a Kejriwal, wants her security cut

Jaipur: Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has asked state DGP Omendra Bharadwaj to scale down her security cover so that people do not face trouble when visiting her.

Raje has urged the police chief that the number of her security personnel be cut to half.

"Z-plus security cover is provided to the Chief Minister. But now after the direction of the Chief Minister, we are working out new security arrangements and on the number of security personnel to be deployed," T Guite, IG Security, said today.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. PTI

The police personnel who are taken off the chief minister's security will be posted for the security of people and in law and order of the state from Wednesday.

"The chief minister has given directions to police that traffic should not be stopped when her cavalcade moves. Her cavalcade stops at red signals because she does not want inconvenience for common man," Raje's press advisor Mahendra Bharadwaj said.

Raje has not moved to the sprawling official Chief Minister's residence at 8 Civil Lines and is staying at her present residence at 13 Civil Lines.

An official release from her office said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's decision not to move into the official residence there comes after her decision.

PTI

Govt sends Lokpal Bill to President Pranab Mukherjee for assent

New Delhi: The much-awaited anti-corruption measure Lokpal was tonight one step short of becoming a law with the government sending the bill to President Pranab Mukherjee for his assent.

Highly placed sources in the government said the Lok Sabha secretariat sent to the Law Ministry late this evening a copy of the Bill which has been signed by Speaker Meira Kumar.

Pranab Mukherjee. PTI

The Bill was then forwarded to the Rashtrapati Bhavan for the President's assent, the sources said.

As per the laid down procedure, the House of Parliament which passes the Bill last sends an authenticated copy to the government which includes the official amendments.

While the Rajya Sabha had passed the amended Lokpal Bill on 17 December, the Lok Sabha passed the measure the next day.

After the assent by the President, Secretary Legislative Department in the Law Ministry will sign it and send it for publication in the official gazettee.

The Lokpal Bill provides for the creation of an anti-graft watchdog which will have under its purview even the Prime Minister with certain safeguards.

The most prominent of a clutch of anti-graft legislations on the anvil, the Lokpal Bill seeks to establish a Lokpal at the central level and asks states to establish Lokayuktas within a year's time from the date of notification of the law. The format of the Lokayukta will be left to the state assemblies to decide.

The bill was first passed by the Lok Sabha at the fag end of the winter session of 2011, but not by the Rajya Sabha, where it was debated but the house was adjourned before voting on it.

A select committee of the Rajya Sabha later suggested changes in the bill, most of which which were incorporated and approved by the Union Cabinet. Following the amendments, the Rajya Sabha passed the bill.

PTI

Lalu meets Sonia, vows never again to snap alliance with Cong

New Delhi: RJD chief Lalu Prasad today met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and later vowed not to repeat the 2009 mistake of snapping alliance with Congress.

After the nearly 10-minute meeting, Prasad said Gandhi has said she will meet him again this month to discuss with him the issue of alliance.

Lalu Prasad Yadav. AFP

He said he can say with full confidence that an alliance of Congress-RJD-LJP will happen this time and will halt the march of "communal forces" in Bihar, Jharkhand and elsewhere.

He also chose the occasion to praise the leadership of Rahul Gandhi as "million times better" than that of Narendra Modi and Arvind Kejriwal.

"I am saying with full confidence that we will unite all secular parties aganist communal forces. Congress is all India party, a strong and secular party..Earlier we were together, even today we are so and will remain together even in future..I will make any sacrifice for this...

"I will not allow communal forces to occupy power at any cost..that is my dream...," Prasad told reporters.

The RJD chief, who expressed regret over break-up of the tie-up with Congress in 2009 due to his mistake of offering only three seats to Congress, said the error will not be repeated this time.

LJP and RJD had fought 2009 Lok Sabha elections separately without alliance with Congress and as a result while RJD could win only four seats, Congress two and LJP failed to open its account. This was in stark contrast to their having together won 29 seats in 2004 Lok Sabha polls.

Invoking the allegory of the Mahabharata, Prasad said "that time Congress had demanded only five villages. It was a mistake we did not give. Now, this will not be repeated... Our alliance is already with LJP and Congress. I had committed the mistake".

Amid indications that LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan is peeved at RJD undermining his party this time and repeatedly talking of giving it less seats, Prasad said "I am not angry... I am not angry with Paswan or anybody else... We are together.."

PTI

Arun Jaitley dares Virbhadra, asks him to file defamation case

New Delhi: BJP leader Arun Jaitley today dared Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra to file a defamation case against him for alleging that he had taken bribe from a private power company and said he would cross examine him in court on each of the charges.

"Virbhadra Singh has said that he would consider filing a defamation action against me. He is certainly entitled to do so. In that event I would be pleading truth as defence and cross examining him on each of these issues," Jaitley, a renowned lawyer, wrote on his Facebook.

Arun Jaitley. AFP

Claiming that he has "ample evidence" against Virbhadra Singh, the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha asked Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to examine this and make a public declaration as to why they feel he is "still innocent".

Singh has denied the charges and said BJP was indulging in a "malicious campaign".

The BJP leader has written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in which he had levelled the charges. He also attached 20 documents claiming these to be as "evidence". A copy of the documents has also been sent to the CBI director.

"The (Congress) party has challenged me to produce the evidence. The entire evidence is documentary and submitted both to the Prime Minister and the Director CBI. The evidence is also available on my website," he said.

PTI

AAP won’t join hands with big parties in Haryana, says Yogendra Yadav

Jind (Har): Aam Aadmi Party will not enter into alliance with any major political party while contesting the Assembly polls in Haryana.

"There is no question of taking support of any big party. Our fight is against corruption, price-rise and other essentials, and all big parties are responsible for this," senior AAP leader Yogendra Yadav said.

Yogendra Yadav. Ibnlive

He, however, said that AAP was in talks with smaller parties.

"We are in talks with one-two small parties. AAP might take their support," he told reporters here.

On speculation that he will be portrayed as AAP's Chief Ministerial candidate in Haryana, Yadav said, "I have no knowledge about this. This is all media speculation."

He said the party will choose the Chief Minister after it wins the election.

"There is no CM candidate. After the party wins theelection, decision will be taken on who will occupy the post," Yadav said.

Emphasising on the party's ethos, he said, "In AAP, there is no relevance of CM's post. We are all working to fulfil our responsibilities."

Replying to a question, he said AAP has not yet decided how many Lok Sabha seats it will contest from Haryana.

When asked if he would contest from Gurgaon seat, he said he could contest from any seat in the country. "I will go by whatever the party decides. As of now, no decision has been taken about who will contest from the Gurgaon seat. This is just speculation," he said.

The AAP leader claimed that there was 10 times more corruption in Haryana as compared to Delhi.

He said people were tired of dynasty politics and were looking for change.

Yadav appealed to people to donate to the party, saying AAP would not take money from any big corporation and would fight elections only with the common man's money.

PTI

Arvind Kejriwal seeks CAG audit of Delhi discoms

New Delhi: Newly-installed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Tuesday asked the state's electricity distribution companies to state their objections to their likely audit by the nation's Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).

"We have given notice to power companies for audit. Power companies have been asked to send their reply on why there shouldn't be an audit, by tomorrow (Wednesday)," the chief minister told reporters here after meeting CAG Shashi Kant Sharma to discuss the issue ahead of a meeting of the Delhi cabinet.

Arvind Kejriwal. Reuters

"Delhi government is of the view that audit of these companies can be done. But under the provisions of law, the three companies were being given the opportunity of being heard on the government audit of their finances," Kejriwal told reporters ahead of the meeting.

"They are being given time till tomorrow morning by which they will have to give their representations," he added.

The three discoms in question — Reliance companies BSES, BSES Rajdhani (BRPL) and BSES Yamuna (BYPL) — have had their accounts described earlier by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as being "fudged and unreliable" and thus untrustworthy regarding their revenues situation.

AAP had also earlier demanded that tariffs should only be increased after the companies' audit by the nation's Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).

A top CAG source told IANS that it favoured an audit of the companies and would await a formal request for audit of these firms.

After the AAP formed the government here, expectations are running high whether the ruling party would deliver on its promise of reducing the power tariff by 50 percent in the national capital.

The discoms have been pointing out that majority of the rate hike in Delhi - 45 percent - has happened in the last two years and that inadequate tariffs instead have led to huge un-recovered costs of Rs.20,000 crore.

The national context overall is one of precarious financial health of state-run distribution companies (discoms). These had a debt burden by end-March 2012, of a staggering Rs.246,000 crore, for which the government approved a restructuring package in September last year.

Electricity tariffs were revised in the national capital in July this year. Delhiites pay a minimum of Rs.3.90 per unit tariff.

The CAG source told IANS that since private companies are generally beyond the CAG's purview, such an audit would create a precedent of sorts. The issue puts it in the same league as the audit of RIL's KG-D6 fields operations in the eastern offshore, which has provoked debate over its admissibility.

IANS

Kejriwal indulging in populism: Harsh Vardhan on power tariff cut

New Delhi: Attacking Arvind Kejriwal over his announcement of 50 per cent reduction in power tariff upto 400 units, BJP leader Harsh Vardhan today said Kejriwal was indulging in "populism" and the decisions would be implemented at the cost of Aam Admi's welfare projects.

He said he would have appreciated the move had it been for all citizens of Delhi.

Harsh Vardhan. AFP

"It is populism. I would have appreciated if they had actually fulfilled their promises in totality. They had promised 50 per cent reduction in power tariff for all citizens of Delhi and now we see that it is only for those using upto 400 units and that too they are doing it with the help of subsidies.

"These subsidies are basically given from government treasury and this is money we give to the government for the development of various projects. It means all this is done at the cost of various developmental projects and it is our money being given back to us. What's the new deal in it?"

Vardhan said reduction in tariff has to be by setting the accounts of power companies in the right direction and it is to be done through Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission and there should be no burden on common men.

Former BJP Delhi unit chief Vijendra Gupta said Kejriwal is doing all this in a hurry keeping an eye on the upcoming elections.

"Here money is being given from government treasury to reduce power tariff. Rather, they should have exposed the corruption of power companies and brought down the tariff. It can be seen as a temporary relief but in reality there has been no slash in power tariff," Gupta said.

He accused Kejriwal of using the "government money keeping mind his party's interests" and said "he is imitating Sheila Dikshit's formula" in which she had planned that the government will give Rs 500 crore to power companies to bring down the tariff.

PTI

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