CAG report tabled in Delhi Assembly flags ₹42 crore lapses in power subsidy scheme

The Monsoon Session of the Delhi Assembly began on Friday, with the House witnessing the tabling of a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report that flagged discrepancies in the power subsidy scheme implemented over the past three years.

The audit, covering 2019-20 to 2022-23, found that subsidies totalling ₹42.26 crore were extended to domestic consumers who had no recorded electricity consumption across consecutive billing cycles. It also observed that the scheme's design led to higher subsidies for consumers with greater electricity usage.

According to the report, more than 30 lakh consumers using up to 200 units monthly received an average annual subsidy of about ₹6,000 per connection. In comparison, around 16.60 lakh consumers with consumption exceeding 200 units received about ₹10,000 on average — nearly 70% higher. This, the CAG noted, was a departure from the principle of targeting benefits to lower-usage households.

The total expenditure on the power subsidy scheme rose from ₹2,405.59 crore in 2019-20 to ₹3,161 crore in 2022-23, constituting 66.96% to 70.39% of Delhi's total subsidy spending during that period. The audit additionally reported tax and fee irregularities of ₹220.59 crore across 145 instances.

In another finding, the CAG termed ₹29.45 crore spent by the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation on land acquired in Baprola for a Gems and Jewellery Park as "unfruitful." The land was originally acquired in 2006.

The session also saw opposition MLAs raise the issue of Question Hour being absent. AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha said legislators had submitted questions but were not given the chance to raise them in the House. "What are we submitting questions for?" he asked.

The Assembly subsequently passed a Motion of Thanks on the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana, a scheme promising ₹2,500 monthly financial assistance to women. Till Friday, over 4.87 lakh women had registered on the official portal.

In another development, the Chief Minister's Office said the Cabinet has approved a draft Bill to allow private universities to be established in Delhi. The Bill is expected to be introduced during the ongoing Monsoon Session. Currently, there is no legal framework for private universities in the capital. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the lack of such a framework has pushed students to seek higher education in neighbouring states or abroad.

The CAG report is a statutory audit, and its findings are subject to further examination by the legislature's Public Accounts Committee. The power subsidy scheme was a significant initiative of the previous AAP government, aimed at providing relief to residential consumers.