'Big Conspiracy' Being Hatched To Stop Kejriwal Govt's Free Electricity Scheme: Delhi Minister

New Delhi: Delhi power minister Atishi on Monday (March 27, 2023) said that a "big conspiracy" is being hatched at a high level to stop free electricity being provided by the Arvind Kejriwal-led government. Addressing a press conference, she said that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has ordered an audit of the subsidy being given to discoms to ascertain if there are any discrepancies. The senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said that agencies empanelled with the Comptroller and Auditor General of India will conduct the audit and directions in this regard will be issued in two to three days.

"A conspiracy is being hatched at a high level to stop free electricity being provided by the Kejriwal government. Files are not being shown to the chief minister and the power minister... It shows that something is amiss," Atishi said.

"Government-appointed experts in discom boards were removed earlier and now questions are being raised if the LG is colluding with the discoms," she alleged.

Atishi said the chief minister has ordered an audit of the subsidy being provided to the discoms to ascertain how this money was being used and if there were any discrepancies.

Senior AAP leader and Cabinet Minister @AtishiAAP Addressing an Important Press Conference | LIVE https://t.co/FtgfwnftBg

— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) March 27, 2023

Earlier last week, CM Arvind Kejriwal had asserted that his government would not let the "conspiracy" to stop the power subsidy scheme in Delhi succeed and that he would defend like a rock the rights of the people of the national capital.

A day after Atishi alleged in the Delhi Assembly that officials were trying to stop the power subsidy scheme at the behest of Lt Governor VK Saxena, Kejriwal on Saturday warned him not to complain later about "dignities" being breached.

While alleging that there is conspiracy to stop the power subsidy scheme introduced by his government in Delhi, Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi, "Still they say Kejriwal fights a lot."

"Conspiracies are being hatched to stop (the) free electricity (scheme) in Delhi. But we will not allow their conspiracy to succeed. Kejriwal will be found standing like a rock for the rights of the people of Delhi. LG saheb, please do not say later that dignities are being breached," Kejriwal said.

फिर कहते हैं केजरीवाल लड़ता बहुत है।

दिल्ली की फ़्री बिजली को बंद करने के लिए साज़िश रची जा रही है। लेकिन हम इनकी साज़िश को कभी सफल नहीं होने देंगे। दिल्ली की जनता के हक़ के लिए केजरीवाल चट्टान की तरह खड़ा मिलेगा।

LG साहब, बाद में कृपया ये मत कहिएगा कि मर्यादाएँ टूट रही हैं। https://t.co/if2fGmtPgv — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) March 25, 2023

Amid allegations of officials obstructing the Delhi government's electricity subsidy scheme at the behest of Saxena, Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel on Friday referred the matter to the Standing Committee on Public Facilities.

Earlier this month, Saxena had asked Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to direct the Power department to place the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) advisory on the restriction of power subsidy before the council of ministers and take a decision within 15 days.

The instruction was made on the basis of DERC's statutory advisory to the Delhi government to consider "restricting" the subsidy to the "poor and needy consumers".