L-G okays special audit of power firms over pension surcharge

Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) VK Saxena on Tuesday approved the special audit of power companies to look into the pension surcharge levied in electricity tariff of consumers of Delhi, Raj Niwas officials said.

The audit will help track the actual pension surcharge collected by discoms (distribution companies) from consumers and transferred to pension trust, they said.

‘Difference of over Rs 1,100 cr found’

• The special audit will help to track the actual pension surcharge collected by discoms from consumers in the Capital for financial years 2017-18 to 2023-24 and passed on to the pension fund
• Discoms levy a pension surcharge of 7 per cent on the monthly electricity bills of consumers in Delhi
• A difference of more than Rs 1,100 crore was found in funds allocated by the DERC and that collected by discoms for the Pension Trust during the last seven years, the L-G office alleged

Discoms levy a pension surcharge of 7 per cent in monthly electricity bills of Delhi consumers.

“The main objective of this special audit is to track funds collected as pension surcharge from consumers and ensure that they are being properly utilised for the funding of pension and related benefits for the retired employees of the Delhi Vidyut Board (DVB),” an official said.

“A difference of more than Rs 1,100 crore was found in funds allocated by the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) and collected by discoms for Pension Trust during the last seven years. During 2022-23 financial year, Rs 1,520 crore was received by the trust from discoms in the form of pension surcharge against a demand of Rs 1,930 crore,” the official added.

Saxena gave the directions for conducting a special audit under Section 108 of the Electricity Act, 2003.

“The special audit of discoms — BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL), BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) and Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL) — will be conducted for the financial years 2017-18 to 2023-24 through CAG-empanelled external auditors,” another official said.

The pension trust was established as a part of the Transfer Scheme Rules, 2001, framed under Delhi Electricity Reforms Act, 2000, and the tripartite agreement between the Government of NCT of Delhi, Delhi Vidyut Board and Joint Action Committee of workers, engineers and officers of the DVB.

“In 2010, the Supreme Court in a judgment had ruled that any liability towards DVB employees and existing pensioners are the responsibility and liability of the successor utility or employer i.e. discoms, Delhi Transco Limited (DTL), etc.” they said.