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Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena (File PTI photos)
In the letter, Saxena denied the allegations and called them “unsubstantiated, misleading and false.” He also asked Kejriwal to seek “accountability and responsibility” of the statements made by the AAP leaders.
As tensions continue to simmer between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, the latter has written a letter threatening legal action against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his party for accusing him of attempting to stop the city’s electricity subsidies for the poor.
This comes as Delhi Power Minister Atishi, and Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the Lt Governor of not approving a file that would result in the discontinuation of power subsidies for almost 46 lakh people in the national capital from Friday onwards.
In the letter, Saxena denied the allegations and called them “unsubstantiated, misleading and false.” He also asked Kejriwal to seek “accountability and responsibility” of the statements made by the AAP leaders.
“I write to you seeking accountability and responsibility with regards to unsubstantiated and false statements made by you and your colleagues in the government and party against me,” Saxena wrote, as quoted by the NDTV.
Saxena further challenged the Delhi government to “show evidence” to prove that he stopped the power subsidy.
“You are well aware that I have always been committed to power subsidy to the poor and have made the same amply clear in public domain, as indeed in writing on different files on different occasions,” the letter further reads.
Saxena highlighted that if the AAP members fail to show any proof of their statements, he would pursue a legal action against them, according to NDTV.
The LG has previously also responded to these statements and asked Atishi to refrain from engaging in unnecessary politicking and making baseless false allegations against him.
The LG’s office had asked Atishi and Kejriwal to explain to the people of Delhi why the decision on this matter was delayed until April 4, even though the deadline was April 15.
What had AAP claimed about the electricity subsidy?
Amid the ongoing tussle between the city government and the Lt Governor office, the minister said she has sought a meeting with Saxena over the issue but there has been no response. “The subsidy we give to 46 lakh people will stop from today. From Monday onwards, people will get inflated bills without subsidy,” she said in a press conference here.
According to the minister, the Delhi Cabinet has given its approval for extending the power subsidy for the year 2023-24. However, the file regarding this matter is still awaiting clearance in the LG’s office.
“Till the file is approved we can’t give subsidy. I even sought time from the LG office to discuss the matter but it’s been more than 24 hours and I have not been given time. The file has also not come back yet,” she alleged.
What is the electricity subsidy?
The AAP-led government in Delhi offers free electricity to consumers who use up to 200 units per month.
For those consuming between 201 to 400 units per month, there is a 50 per cent subsidy capped at Rs 850.
Last year, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal declared that power subsidy would only be given to those consumers who applied for it. As per official records, over 48 lakh out of more than 58 lakh domestic consumers have applied for the power subsidy.
The AAP-led government has allocated a budget of Rs 3,250 crore for power subsidy in the fiscal year 2023-24.
With agency inputs
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