Electricity Amendment Bill anti-people, anti-federal: Kejriwal
New Delhi, Sep 29 : Calling the proposed amendment to the Electricity Act 2003 'anti-people' and 'anti-federal', Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said it would lead to a sharp hike in the electricity bills of the common man.
The bill would lead to huge tariff hikes and will result in complete control of the Centre over the power sector and total exclusion of the states, he told the media here.
"The amendment will benefit selected private players. The power tariffs of small and medium domestic consumers will increase at least two to three times immediately all across India," Kejriwal said.
"Presently, two of the three members of the electricity regulatory commissions are state government's choice. The amendment proposes a six-member selection committee with only one state government nominee, four Central government nominees and one sitting Supreme Court judge," he said.
"In effect, the Central government will decide the constitution of all State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERCs)," he said.
The Bill, expected to be passed in the winter session of the Parliament, just a few months before elections, will also increase crony capitalism and monopoly, Kejriwal said.
"The Centre will be able to give benefits to the power companies close to them. The timing of these amendments is suspicious. It is rumoured that these power companies would return favours by providing funds for elections," he said.
Claiming that the Delhi Government has provided the cheapest and uninterrupted power supply, Kejriwal said his government has not hiked tariffs in the last three years.
"The amendments propose phasing out of cross-subsidies. Presently, all across India, higher tariffs are charged from industrial and commercial consumers to subsidise domestic consumers and farmers.
"After this amendment, there will be just one rate of electricity for all consumers irrespective of load, consumption or type of consumer," he said.
"It is proposed to reduce cross-subsidy to 20 per cent immediately and progressively eliminate it within three years. This would lead to a huge increase in tariffs all across the country immediately," he added.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
