NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has announced a one-time waiver of water bill arrears that might bring political benefit to the ruling Aam Aadmi Party in the coming assembly elections.
Tuesday’s announcement follows the move to give free rides to women in buses and metro trains, for which the Delhi government has earmarked Rs 290 crore.
Similarly, in the power sector, the Delhi government has waived electricity charges up to 200 units, which will benefit around 26 lakh consumers in the national capital. This decision will cost the government Rs 1,800- Rs 2,000 crore per year.
While announcing the scheme, the AAP government stated that if a household consumes 201 to 400 units, it will receive a 50 per cent subsidy on power charges. Incidentally, Delhi has the lowest power tariffs in the country.
“A blanket waiver only leads to frustration in disciplined citizens who support the government. Delhi has the highest per capita income in the country. The government should avoid making services free. The discipline of the law should be followed, whether it be power, transport, or water. Such announcements send a wrong signal,” said Sudheer Krishna, former chairman of Delhi Finance Commission.
“This is a very short-sighted scheme. The government is spending almost its entire budget on subsidies and salaries. Hardly any budget is left for developmental works. The government spends around Rs 10,000- Rs 11,000 crore on subsidies every year. There are many other problems that Delhi is facing. If you want to do it, do positive populism,” said Omesh Saigal, former chief secretary of Delhi.