Delhi LG Vinai Kumar Saxena orders probe into Delhi power scheme

Lieutenant-governor VK Saxena has ordered a probe into alleged irregularities in Delhi’s free power scheme, triggering another political face-off with the Arvind Kejriwal government. According to sources at the LG office, chief secretary Naresh Kumar has been asked to conduct an inquiry and submit a report in a week. Kejriwal linked the probe with the Gujarat elections and claimed the BJP was ‘feeling insecure’ as his poll promise of free electricity was gaining traction in Gujarat.

Saxena's action followed a complaint filed at the LG’s Secretariat which raised issues of ‘impropriety and discrepancies’ in the power subsidy scheme, according to a government insider.

“The LG has asked the chief secretary to conduct an inquiry into alleged irregularities in the power subsidy amount given by the AAP government to BSES discoms and sought a report within seven days,” a person in LG’s office said. The LG has also asked the chief secretary to probe the non-implementation of power subsidy payment to consumers through direct benefit transfer as ordered by the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission in 2018, the person said.


The secretariat of the LG has asked the chief secretary to inquire into and submit a report within a week as to why the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission order of 2018, directing the ‘Govt. of National Capital Territory of Delhi to pay electricity subsidy to consumers through DBT’, has not been implemented till now. The order had inter alia stated that Delhi government may consider to transfer power subsidy to the beneficiaries as is already being done by the government in the matter of distribution of LPG subsidy. This, the DERC had said, will obviate the need for conducting any Audit.

Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia termed the probe as ‘unconstitutional’ and demanded that the order be withdrawn. “Every single investigation ordered by the LG is illegal and unconstitutional; he can’t interfere in the work of a democratically elected government. All directions issued by the LG are politically motivated,” Sisodia alleged in a letter to Saxena. “I bring to your notice the powers provided to the -G of Delhi by the Constitution of India.

The democratically-elected government in Delhi has the jurisdiction on all matters in Delhi except land, police and public order and services” Sisodia said in his letter.