AAP leaders demands Delhi-like power tariff for Mumbai

In view of the soaring power bills in Mumbai ever since Adani Electricity became the new supplier, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders have demanded that the electricity supply and tariff slab similar to that of Delhi be implemented in Mumbai too. The party said that the electricity tariff in Mumbai is costlier than in Delhi.

Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, AAP leaders said that despite the obstruction to CAG audit, there has been no tariff increase in Delhi in over three years. "It has happened due to the elimination of corruption following honest political will at play in government policy and administration, on the part of the executive," Satyendra Jain, Delhi's power minister, and AAP leader said.

He said that in Maharashtra, there has been a 30 per cent increase in the power prices since 2014, and a further increase after the takeover of Reliance Energy by the Adani Group in the Mumbai region. "The AAP government also provides a 50 per cent subsidy in the bracket of 0-200 units of consumption, which mainly comes from the increased budget outlay of the Delhi govt budget which now stands at Rs 54,000 crores, which is 60 per cent increase, when AAP first assumed office in 2015," Jain said.

"In Mumbai, electricity prices have increased on the basis of inflated losses and other excuses, while in Delhi there is absolutely no increase in tariff rates. The average price of electricity per unit is Rs 3 in Delhi but is over Rs 5 in Mumbai," he said.

"AAP demands that this robbery of consumers — many of who are poor and living on the margins, be stopped immediately. The basic slabs are changed from 0-100 instead of the present 0-200, which will give benefit to over 65 per cent of the consumers, excess amounts which have been saddled onto consumers be returned to them immediately. A CAG audit should be conducted and irrational excuses for tariff increase must not be entertained by the MERC," Brigadier Sudhir Sawant, AAP Maharashtra Convenor, said.

Talking of the health sector, Satyendra Jain, informed that the AAP govt in Delhi has given top priority to healthcare along with education, as the twin cornerstones of the Delhi Governance Model.

He said, "Delhi government spends 12 per cent share of its budget on healthcare, one of the highest in India. Its Mohalla Clinics, which are state of the art- primary and secondary health care centres, has received global acclaim and is praised by national and international experts including former UN Secretary-Generals Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-Moon. Delhi government provides completely free and quality healthcare to all residents of Delhi without any income criteria including free care to accident victims."

"In contrast, Maharashtra State Government has historically neglected Public Health System and starved it from required funds and other resources. Dr Deepak Sawant, Maharashtra's health minister is a proven disaster," he alleged.

He also said that as a result, Maharashtra's rural public health system is stagnant, urban public healthcare is a non-starter, district hospitals and government medical colleges are overburdened.

"Today public health facilities in Maharashtra are facing an unprecedented shortage of essential medicines and consumables. With over 15,000 vacancies, the situation of public hospitals is not good at all and moreover, the government has doubled user fees," the AAP leader said.

"We demand that Mohalla Clinics should be set up on the lines of the Delhi Model, increase in per capita healthcare spends, the Tamil Nadu system of procurement of medicines be implemented in letter and spirit and affordable and quality healthcare is made available to all. All of this suffering being inflicted on the poor is completely avoidable and Govt must do whatever it takes to alleviate their suffering ", said Dr Karmakar, convenor of the health wing.

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Talking of the health sector, Satyendra Jain, said the AAP govt in Delhi has given top priority to healthcare, education, as the twin cornerstones of the Delhi governance model