Taking the first step towards slashing power tariff by 50 per cent, the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government Monday directed finance and power departments to immediately send their proposals for its implementation. The decision was taken in the first cabinet meeting of the AAP government chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The Kejriwal-led government has also directed the Delhi Jal Board to prepare a proposal on providing free water up to 20,000 litres to every household per month. Slashing power tariff by half and providing free water were key pre-poll promises made by AAP in the Assembly elections which they won with a landslide majority. Besides Kejriwal, all six ministers - Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Transport Minister Gopal Rai, Health Minister Satyendar Jain, Home Minister Jitender Singh Tomar, Food and Supply Minister Asim Ahmed Khan and Social Welfare & Women and Child Welfare Minister Sandeep Kumar were present in the meeting. "CM Kejriwal Monday directed the finance and power departments to immediately send their proposals to him for implementation of the election promises to slash the electricity tariffs by 50 per cent till the audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of the private power companies (discoms) is completed," said a senior official. During its previous 49-day stint, the AAP-led government had announced a 50 per cent subsidy on power consumption up to 400 units in the national capital due to which power bills of the consumers were cut by half. The then AAP government had also ordered a CAG audit into the finances of three private power distribution companies in the national capital. In the cabinet meeting held Monday, it was also decided to recommend that the first session of the newly-elected Delhi Assembly be held on February 23 and 24 for swearing-in of new MLAs and election of the speaker and deputy speaker.
