No relief from water woes for people in CM Arvind Kejriwal's constituency, NDMC areas

NEW DELHI: The AAP government has promised 20,000 litres of free water and electricity at discounted rates for Delhiites. However, people at chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's constituency and others in the NDMC areas haven't got any of the benefits yet as New Delhi Municipal Council hasn't received any funds from the government.

Officials said the proposal was approved by NDMC's council in March on the conditions that the government would fund the schemes. However, no money has come despite repeated reminders to the government.

The matter was raised in the council meeting again on Friday by the newly appointed vice-chairperson, Karan Singh Tanwar, a senior BJP member. Hitting out at Kejriwal, who didn't attend the meeting, Tanwar said, "He has been lying to people of Delhi since the very first day. Why has the government not released funds to NDMC? Officials have told me that the civic agency has written to the government twice or thrice, but there is no response."

NDMC officials said the benefits under the two schemes would be given from the day the money for the subsidy would be released. NDMC member and AAP legislator from Delhi Cantonment constituency, Commando Surender, however, said, "The benefit will be given from the day the proposal was passed in the council." Both schemes were implemented in April in the rest of Delhi.

The electricity tariff charged by NDMC is lower compared to the rest of Delhi. For electricity consumption up to 200 units, NDMC charges Rs 3.25 per unit while it is Rs 4 in the rest of the city. But the government's decision has to be implemented across the city irrespective of the tariff structure.

Surender added that government would release the money together and the schemes would soon be implemented in NDMC areas.