AAP nominees removed from discom boards on Delhi L-G’s orders

Karam Prakash

New Delhi, February 11

The Power Department of the Delhi Government, on the directions of Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena, has removed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) nominees from the board of private electricity distribution companies, discoms.

AAP spokesperson Jasmine Shah, AAP MP ND Gupta’s son Naveen Gupta; and some private persons, who were appointed as “government nominees” in the board, have been removed.

Move ‘illegal’

The move is illegal, unconstitutional and contrary to the established procedures. The L-G has started a new trend of reversing decisions taken by the elected government of Delhi. Manish Sisodia, Delhi Dy CM

Officials from the L-G office said these “illegally” appointed AAP nominees had collaborated with representatives of privately-owned discoms of BYPL, BRPL (Anil Ambani) and NDPDCL (Tata) on board and benefitted them to the tune of Rs 8,468 crore at the cost of the public exchequer.

The Finance Secretary, Power Secretary and MD, Delhi Transco, will now represent the government in these discoms.

Last month, the L-G had ordered immediate removal of AAP nominees from the boards of privately owned discoms — BYPL, BRPL (Anil Ambani) and NDPDCL (Tata).

Invoking “difference of opinion” under Article 239AA of the Constitution, L-G Saxena had referred the matter to the President of India for a decision. He had, however, asked for the removal of the above-mentioned political appointees with immediate effect. The L-G had also asked for appointment of senior government officials in their place.

“Appointment of senior government officials — such as the Finance Secretary, Power Secretary and representatives of the government-owned Gencos and Transco — on board, used to be the norm until Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government started nominating party functionaries as “government nominees” to discom boards,” said an officer from the L-G office.

The L-G official said: “These AAP nominees in the discoms acted in cahoots with the BRPL and BYPL boards and facilitated a decision by their boards to decrease the LPSC rates from 18 per cent to 12 per cent. This benefitted them to the tune of Rs 8,468 crore, an amount that could have gone to the Delhi Government exchequer.”

“The allegations of causing financial loss made by the L-G against me are laughable, complete nonsense, slanderous and without a shred of evidence. The L-G is abusing his high constitutional office every single day to do BJP’s bidding with complete disregard to Constitutional norms and SC judgments. He has no powers to remove Delhi Government-appointed directors from the board of discoms,” said Jasmine Shah.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia termed the move “illegal, unconstitutional and contrary to the procedures” and accused the L-G of not following the Constitution and Supreme Court orders. “The L-G has no right to overturn the decisions of the CM and the Cabinet. The L-G can use the “difference of opinion” power only in special circumstances,” said Sisodia.