Give complaints of power cuts to government, will penalise discoms: Arvind Kejriwal to MLAs

NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today asked the MLAs to give the complaints of power outages lasting for more than one hour in their areas to Delhi government which will ensure discoms compensate consumers for the "unscheduled power cuts".

Kejriwal held a meeting with MLAs and officials of all three power distribution companies at Delhi Secretariat here to take stock of power situation in the national capital. The move comes after government received several complaints of power outages in several areas.

In May, the AAP government had announced that power distribution companies (discoms) will have to compensate the consumers for unscheduled outages extending up to two hours and penalties could go up to Rs 100 per hour.

"We have asked MLAs to give complaints of power cuts lasting more than one hour in their respective areas so that discoms could be penalised. Discoms will have to compensate consumers for long power cuts," Delhi Power minister Satyendar Jain told reporters here.

The CM, two months ago, had said that if the discoms do not spruce up their supply network in the next six months then they would be made to compensate the consumers for even one-hour-long outage.

He also said there was a need to make discoms "accountable for outages" and then only residents of Delhi would be benefited from the privatisation of power sector.

In today's meeting, discom officials also informed Kejriwal that there was a need to install 250 transformers to provide new connections to consumers and ensure uninterrupted power supply in the capital.

"Out of 250 transformers, 20-25 of them will urgently be installed. MLAs have also been asked to find land in their areas where new transformers could be installed," Jain said.

A large number of applications for new power connections in unauthorised colonies are pending with the discoms.