New Delhi, March 24: Delhi Power Minister Ashish Sood on Monday suggested that electricity prices in the city may rise due to a Rs 27,000 crore debt left by the previous AAP government with power distribution companies (Discoms) through the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC). Responding to a question from AAP MLA Imran Hussain in the Delhi Assembly about the expected tariff hike, Sood stated that Discoms are authorized to raise rates to recover the outstanding debt.
Sood emphasized that the previous government’s failure to safeguard public interests led to this situation, referencing a Delhi High Court order that directed DERC to issue a tariff order during the previous administration. He further added, “The previous government has left a debt of Rs 27 thousand crores with the discoms. To recover this, the companies are authorized to increase electricity rates.”
Sood continued, “During the tenure of the previous government, on the orders of the High Court, DERC was ordered to bring tariff orders. That government could not protect the interests of the public. In the coming time, electricity prices will rise, and perhaps some people even want this for their political gains. However, the government remains in touch with DERC and is closely monitoring the situation.”
Meanwhile, former Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Atishi criticized the BJP-led central government, accusing it of not fulfilling its promised financial assistance of Rs 2,500 for women in Delhi. “The BJP made a lot of promises before the elections. We hope those promises are fulfilled in this budget session. The first and most important promise was that Delhi’s women would receive Rs 2,500 on March 8. Till today, even the registration of that scheme has not started. It is clear that PM Modi lied and betrayed the people of Delhi,” Atishi said.
In contrast, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta marked the beginning of the Delhi Legislative Assembly’s budget session by preparing ceremonial ‘Kheer’ as a gesture of gratitude to those involved in the budget-making process. The session, running from March 24 to March 28, will address critical financial and policy matters. This session is particularly significant as the BJP returned to power in the 2025 Delhi Legislative Assembly elections after a 27-year gap.
As part of the proceedings, CM Rekha Gupta will propose the election of members for important financial committees, such as the Committee on Public Accounts, Committee on Estimates, and Committee on Government Undertakings. The election of nine members for each committee will play a crucial role in the governance and financial oversight of Delhi.
In addition to these discussions, Deputy Speaker Mohan Singh Bisht and Member Om Prakash Sharma are set to present reports on the Business Advisory Committee and the Committee on Private Members’ Bills. The session will also include discussions on crucial topics such as water shortage, sewerage issues, and drain desilting in Delhi.