Choose Kejri to prevent power tariff hike: Atishi

Chief Minister-designate Atishi on Friday alleged that the BJP would try to increase power tariff in Delhi through the Lt-Governor and urged people to choose Arvind Kejriwal to prevent the situation.

Addressing a press conference, she alleged that the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh Government’s electricity model was the “costliest with long outages” and said choosing Kejriwal as CM would prevent them from the same fate.

Atishi said only Kejriwal’s leadership could ensure 24x7 electricity at the lowest rates.

“The BJP government in Uttar Pradesh has increased the price of electricity connections in the state by 250 per cent.

Poor families, those living in villages and farming families who previously paid only Rs 1,200 for a 1 kilowatt (kW) connection are now required to pay Rs 3,000,” she said.

The senior AAP leader added, “For a typical 5 kW connection, which is standard for middle-class households or families in urban areas, the cost has also risen by 118 per cent, from Rs 7,967 to Rs 17,365. This is the same BJP government of UP that imposed eight-hour power cuts in major cities like Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad and Sahibabad during the summer.”

She urged the people of Delhi to unite in the February elections to re-elect Kejriwal as Chief Minister, emphasising that only then will Delhi secure 24/7 access to the cheapest electricity.

The minister further stated that the electricity model of Kejriwal’s AAP government in Delhi guarantees 24/7 electricity at the lowest rates. On June 19, Delhi met a peak demand of 8,400 MW without any load shedding.

“In the coming four months, as long as I serve as Chief Minister, I will do my utmost to protect the people of Delhi. I am aware that the BJP may try to conspire to increase electricity prices in Delhi through its L-G. On behalf of the AAP and Kejriwal, I promise that we will not allow electricity prices to rise in Delhi,” she added.