Delhi LG approves special audit of power companies for pension surcharge levied on electricity tariff
Oct 29, 2024
New Delhi [India], October 29 : Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Tuesday approved 'Special Audit' of Power Companies to look into the 'Pension Surcharge' levied in electricity tariff of Consumers of Delhi.
According to an official release, the special audit will help to track the actual pension surcharge collected by DISCOMs from consumers and transferred to Pension trust. DISCOMs levy a Pension Surcharge of 7 per cent on the monthly Electricity Bills of consumers in Delhi.
"The main objective of this Special Audit is to track funds collected as pension surcharge from consumers and ensure that they are being properly utilized for the funding of pensions and related benefits for the retired employees of the Delhi Vidyut Board. A difference of more than Rs 1100 crore was found in funds allocated by the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) and collected by DISCOMs for pension trust during the last seven years," the release said.
"During the financial year 2022-23, an amount of Rs 1520 crore was received by the pension trust from DISCOMs in the form of Pension Surcharge against a demand of Rs. 1930 crores," it added.
LG Saxena gave these directions in larger public interests for conducting a Special Audit under Section 108 of the Electricity Act, 2003. The Special Audit of DISCOMS; i.e., BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL), BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL), and Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL), will be conducted for the financial years 2017-18 to 2023-24 through CAG empanelled External Auditors.
As per the release, the Pension trust was established as a part of Transfer Scheme Rules, 2001, framed under Delhi Electricity Reforms Act, 2000, and the Tripartite Agreement between the Government of NCT of Delhi, Delhi Vidyut Board and Joint Action Committee of Workers, Engineers and Officers of Delhi Vidyut Board. Later in 2010, the Supreme Court in a judgment ruled that any liability towards DVB employees and existing pensioners is the responsibility and liability of the successor utility or employer i.e., DISCOMs, DTL, etc.
