Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Feb 11: Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor(LG) VK Saxena on Saturday replaced two nominees backed by it from the boards of private power distribution companies (DISCOM) after AAP has called the order ‘unconstitutional and illegal’, adding that only the elected government has the power to issue orders on electricity. AAP nominees have been replaced by senior government officers.
Saxena removed AAP spokesperson Jasmine Shah, and Naveen ND Gupta, son of AAP MP ND Gupta replaced by senior government officials, saying they had been illegally appointed as ‘government nominees’ on the boards of private owner discoms BYPL, BRPL (Anil Ambani), and NDPDCL (Tata).
Senior government personnel have taken their places after being ‘illegally’ occupying the positions, according to a statement from the LG Office.
VK Saxena has sought their removal based on a report by the Chief Secretary that alleged the AAP nominees provided financial benefits to private discoms at the cost of the state exchequer.
The party said, “The LG has made a complete mockery of all Supreme Court orders and the Constitution. He is openly going around saying that SC orders are not binding on him.”
The LG’s order said. “They had collaborated with private representatives on boards of Anil Ambani-owned discoms and benefitted them to the tune of Rs 8,000 crore at the cost of public exchequer.”
He further added, “Finance Secretary, Power Secretary and MD, Delhi Transco will now represent the government on these Ambani and Tata-owned discoms, as per regular practice, followed since Sheila Dikshit’s time as Chief Minister when these discs came into existence.”
The LG also said that appointing senior government officials on these boards was the norm till Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government nominated party functionaries.
VK Saxena invoked ‘difference of opinion’ under Article 239AA of the Constitution, after the Arvind Kejriwal government persisted in their continuance on these boards, despite proven misconduct and maleficence on their part. Saxena had earlier referred the matter to the President for a decision.
According to the sources, the order said, “Delhi government which owns 49% of stake in the private discoms used to nominate senior government officials so that the interests of the government and people of Delhi could be taken care of, in decisions taken by the discom boards.”
It also added, these AAP nominees on the discoms, in a quid pro quo arrangement involving commissions and kickbacks, instead of acting vigilant in the interest of the people and government of Delhi, acted in cahoots with the BRPL and BYPL boards, facilitated a decision by their boards to decrease the LPSC rates from 18% to 12%, and in the process unduly benefitted them to the tune of ? 8468 crore – an amount that would have gone to the Delhi government exchequer.
