NEW DELHI: Former administrators and power experts have said that chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s scheme of providing free electricity to consumers as per their usage has the potential of leaving the power companies in the capital in debt.
Speaking to this newspaper, former chief secretary of Delhi, Omesh Sehgal said that the way AAP government was announcing freebies, no hope of funds for the other infrastructural and developmental work will be left in the national Capital. “He has planned free metro and DTC buses for women and subsidy is being given in water bills. Altogether this makes for crores of money in costs leaving only a tiny amount for development,” he asked.
Former chairman of Power Grid Corporation, R P Singh called it a political decision that will weaken the state’s finances. “The companies supplying electricity will suffer losses. A state government needs money for sustenance, modernisation and expansion as its population increases. Continuing this way will result in low revenue to cater to the people,” Singh added.