Delhi LG Lashes Out at Kejriwal Government for not conducting audit of discoms

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinay Kumar Saxena has criticized the Kejriwal government for not conducting an audit of Rs 13,549 crore given to discoms in the last six years. LG gives full support to give power subsidies to the poor, but the amount given to discoms should be audited to ensure no malpractices.

The LG has questioned the Kejriwal government for not implementing Section 108 of the Electricity Act, 2003. This would have made it mandatory for DERC to audit discoms by now.

The LG emphasized that this audit cannot and should not be considered a substitute for the audit conducted by the auditors of the CAG.

The LG expressed surprise that the government’s appeal against the High Court order quashing the CAG audit of discoms has been pending in the Supreme Court for more than seven years. He asked the government to file an appeal for an urgent hearing and ask it to complete it soon.

Delhi LG VK Saxena has criticized the AAP government for evading the audit of a subsidy of Rs 13,549 crore given to private discoms for more than 06 years between 2016 and 2022. Reiterating his consent and commitment to power subsidy for the poor, Saxena has said that such subsidy is public money collected as revenue from the people of Delhi, and it is the government’s prime responsibility to ensure that it is not given to vested interests.

Allowing the government’s proposal to audit through CAG’s empanelled auditors now, the Lt Governor said the CAG should audit huge amounts of public money.