New Delhi, Dec 9 (UNI) Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) president Subhash Chopra on Monday demanded that a murder charge should be registered against the Delhi Power Minister and the private power companies (DISCOMs), holding them responsible for the terrible fire tragedy at the Filmistan area, which claimed the lives of many people, and seriously injured many others.
Mr Chopra and chief spokesperson Mukesh Sharma demanded that the Delhi Government Power Minister, area MLA, the Environment Minister and the Mayor of North MCD should be held responsible for this tragedy and they should immediately tender their resignations.
Addressing mediapersons, they said that corruption in the MCDs, and corruption between the DISCOMs and the Delhi Power Minister were responsible for this fire tragedy.
Mr Chopra and Mr Sharma blamed the Delhi Government, the Delhi Power Minister and the DISCOMs for the tragedy as it happened due to the irresponsible governance of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government and the BJP-ruled Municipal Corporations of Delhi.
'This year alone, 94 people died across Delhi in fire accidents.Due to the collusion between Arvind Kejriwal Government’s Power Minister and the DISCOMs, the Rs 825 crore, which the power companies had promised to spend to change the cables and improve the infrastructure, have not been spent as a big scam seems to have happened on this front,' he said.
Mr Chopra said the DISCOMs had promised to strengthen the cable systems in 650 Kms, but has not been done.
"The DISCOMs strengthened the infrastructure and laid 650km of underground cables, then the tragedy in the Filmistan area would not have happened,' he said.
Launching a direct attack on the BJP, he said that former Union Power Minister Piyush Goel, while touring with local MP Dr Harsha Vardhan before the Parliament elections, had announced that the Union Power Ministry would spend Rs 600 crore for laying underground power cables in Old Delhi, which has proved to be a hollow election promise.
"For the past 18 years, BJP has been ruling in the MCDs, and it was due to corruption in the Corporations that this fire tragedy has occurred,' he said.
Mr Sharma alleged that the DISCOMs have collected thousands of crores of rupees as fines in this area for misuse of power by increasing the load capacity.
'Had even one per cent of that amount was spent in strengthening the cable system in these areas, this mishap would not have happened,' Mr Sharma said.
He added that this was not only a big scandal, but a major corruption which should be probed.

UNI PY SHK1900