Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his cabinet
After insisting that it will not work to timeframes set by the media, the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi has jump-started its plan to slash electricity bills and provide free water.
After the first meeting of his cabinet on Monday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal directed the finance and power departments to send their proposal on how to cut power tariffs by half.
The three-day-old government has also asked the Delhi Jal Board to work on distributing up to 20,000 litres free water a month to every home.
During its previous 49-day stint last year, the AAP-led government had announced a 50 per cent subsidy for up to 400 units of power consumed, which cut electricity bills by half. AAP also ordered an audit into the finances of three private power distribution companies in Delhi, alleging that they were overcharging consumers.
"Until that audit is completed, the government has asked for power tariffs to be cut," said a senior official.
It is not clear yet whether the government will compensate private power companies for the losses or ask them to bear the costs.
The new government also banned demolitions in Delhi, even though it does not own any land in the capital.
An official statement said the government wants to "take a holistic view on the policy of demolitions in residential areas and slums." The opposition BJP, however, said the order means nothing as the Delhi government has no control over land and the police.
Arvind Kejriwal, who was sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Delhi on Saturday, had during his campaign promised that his government would replace slums with permanent structures and not raze a single home.
AAP came to power after winning a landslide victory in the Delhi assembly polls. To execute its 70-point manifesto, the party has decided to bring in sector-specific experts who will work with the Chief Minister's Office.
On its first working day, AAP faced media anger over a ban on their entry to the Delhi Secretariat. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia left the media centre after being bombarded with questions.