Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal Friday accused Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit of conniving with power distribution companies and not allowing lowering of tariff.
Citing an April 2010 draft order by former Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) chairman Brijender Singh, Kejriwal said his assessment found that power distribution companies would make a profit of Rs.3,577 crore and henceforth tariff should be reduced by 23 percent.
The order, copies of which were circulated among the media, read: "The reduction in tariff is likely to be sustained in the future years as well, since the energy availability from new power plants is going to increase substantially."
It also said that reduction in tariff was appropriate not only for financial year 2010-11 but was most likely to continue.
Kejriwal, however, said Dikshit came to rescue of the companies when they "went running" to the Delhi government in 2010.
"Brijender Singh was supposed to issue the order on May 5, 2010. Delhi government wrote a letter to him on May 4 and stopped him from issuing his order," Kejriwal said.
The copy of the Delhi government letter was also shown.
He also accused present DERC chairman P.D. Sudhakar of acting as an "agent" of power distribution companies.
However, Sudhakar refuted the allegations.
"This is baseless and the alleged profits made by power companies were projected profits," he told IANS.
He said power tariff should have been half of what it was now and the companies earned profits amounting to Rs.3,577 crore.
When contacted, an official of a power distribution company told IANS: "We are holding a meeting over this. We will get back to you."