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Discount for defaulters: 50 Percent subsidy for those who backed AAP for not paying electricity bills

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government on Wednesday announced sops for supporters who backed Arvind Kejriwal&#39;s protest against power bills in the national capital. AAP&#39;s Manish Sisodia announced that people who backed Kejriwal&#39;s call to not pay electricity bills will get 50 Percent cut in their bill. People who did not pay their electricity bills between October 2012 and April 2013 heading to a call given by Arvind Kejriwal will now have to pay only 50 per cent of the dues. They will also not have to pay any penalty. The move is likely to cost the exchequer INR 6 crore. The Aam Aadmi Party had promised to reduce power tariff in Delhi if voted to power.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">AAP is engaged in a battle with discoms, but Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has assured Delhiites that they would not have to live without electricity. Kejriwal has however, asked people to be ready for &quot;some difficulties&quot; in case power distribution companies continued with their &quot;blackmailing&quot; tactics.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">Alleging that there was &quot;active collusion&quot; between the companies and the previous Congress government, Kejrial has said that the power tariff would be decided on the basis of the CAG scrutiny of the three private discoms. Last week, Delhi&#39;s power regulator DERC asked AAP government to examine ramifications of possible cancellation of licenses of BSES discoms, particularly about their huge financial liabilities.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">In a letter, the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission conveyed to the government that it examine various issues carefully including appointment of administrators in the discoms in the event of suspension of their licensees. The DERC said it has increased the power tariff by nearly 70 per cent in the last four years to help the discoms finnancially.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">Source-On Request</span></span></span></p>