Delhi LG Vinai Kumar Saxena orders probe in AAP's free power scheme

Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena has asked Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to inquire into the alleged irregularities in the power subsidy scheme of the AAP dispensation, prompting a strong response from Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who linked it to the Gujarat polls and claimed the move aimed at stalling the free electricity initiative.

According to sources at the LG office, Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar has been asked to conduct an inquiry and submit a report within a week.Saxena's action followed a complaint filed at the LG Secretariat which raised issues of "impropriety and discrepancies" in the power subsidy scheme of the Kejriwal government, the sources said.

"The LG has asked the chief secretary to conduct an inquiry into alleged irregularities in the power subsidy amount given by the AAP government to BSES discoms and sought a report within seven days," a source at the LG office said.

In response to a letter, the Arvind Kejriwal government had responded saying: "We welcome any inquiry. If there is any wrongdoing, the guilty should be punished. The AAP government has often counted the improvement of the condition of the government schools among its achievements. But the leaders of the rival BJP - ruling at the Centre - have often hit back, calling these claims baseless.

As per the report of Hindustan Times, this was days after the LG had granted permission to the anti-corruption branch (ACB) for filing a case against two serving and two retired vice-principals of a Delhi government school for allegedly embezzling government fund.