No power subsidy from April 1 in Delhi

Prepare to pay your full-unsubsidized-electricity bill from April. Subsidy for consumption up to 400 units, announced by the Sheila Dikshit government and later increased by the Arvind Kejriwal government, will cease in the new financial year as there is no provision for it in the interim budget for 2014-15 approved by Parliament on Friday.

On December 31, 2013, Kejriwal had slashed electricity rates by 50% for consumption up to 400 units. The Congress government had also been subsidizing the first two slabs of 0-200 units and 201-400 units. The Delhi cabinet had approved the subsidy for the January-March quarter and it was to be reviewed as the government had ordered a CAG audit of power companies. 

The state government had also prepared an estimate of Rs 669 crore for power subsidy in the April-September period but, sources said, this did not figure in the 'vote on account' approved by Parliament. "If the subsidy estimate is not in the budget, it cannot be given. This is a call that will have to be taken by the next elected government," said a source. Courtesy: TNN

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Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) fined for Rs 5 lakhs for not providing drinking water

The National Consumers Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) has sent a strong message to civic authorities that often get into litigation for denying basic amenities to consumers by opposing their genuine complaints. Pulling up the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) to failing to provide clean drinking water to residents to MGA Hisar, the apex court has imposed a fine of five lakh rupees on the authority.

“Public authorities spent more money on contesting cases than the amount they might have to pay to the claimant. In addition thereto, precious time, effort and other resources go down the drain in vain,” said the NDRC bench presided over by VB Gupta.

The residents of MGA Hisar had complained to the district consumer forum that even though plots in the residential area had been opened to purchase by HUDA, there was no supply of clean drinking water and no provision for waste management. The authority argued that they were supplying water in the morning and evening through tube wells, and there was no need to provide cannal water.

“The officials of the petitioner authority in the present case are bent upon not providing water that is for human consumption to the allot tees of the respondent,” the bench said.

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