Delhi dialogue: This time AAP will focus on bijli, paani

New Delhi: Having focused on the issues concerning women and youths, Aam Aadmi Party will now turn to the problems of ‘bijli’ (power) and ‘paani’ (water) in the third edition of ‘Delhi Dialouge’ next week. The party reiterated that if it returned to power in Delhi, it would again slash electricity rates by 50 percent for households consuming up to 400 units per month, till a CAG audit of private power distribution companies is completed. [caption id=“attachment_1836591” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AFP[/caption] “The third phase of Delhi Dialogue, an AAP initiative to connect with the people of Delhi, will take place on 13 December… The ‘Bijli-Paani Dialogue’ will witness the party’s vision based on public conversation on how to solve Delhi’s energy, electricity and water crises,” banker-turned-AAP leader Meera Sanyal told reporters here. “The party will again implement its promise of slashing electricity rates by 50 per cent for households consuming up to 400 units per month till audit of the private power distribution companies by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) is completed,” the party said in a statement. Vinay Mittal, a Delhi Dialouge team member, said AAP activists have already begun engagement with different experts in the field of renewable energy, power grid companies, government and private undertakings in generation, transmission and distribution of electricity. “AAP is committed to providing access to basic energy needs to all of Delhi’s 1.7 crore citizens,” Mittal said. He claimed Delhi gets 6200 MW of electricity from 54 power generating stations, but the capacity to transmit electricity is just for 5400 MW. “This needs urgent attention,” Mittal said. Further, “the party will also hold similar dialouges on rural issues, health and education, traders’ issues, Lokpal, transparency in governance, traffic, parking and public space,” AAP leader Ashish Khetan, who is leading the Delhi Dialouge team, said. The programme will conclude on 18 January after incorporating all the inputs received from the dialouge process in its manifesto. PTI