The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has hailed the Delhi High Court’s decision directing that booked properties be granted electricity connections, calling it a long-overdue relief for thousands of residents. Senior AAP leader Durgesh Pathak said the High Court’s order stems directly from the proposal passed during the Arvind Kejriwal Government, which had already ensured water connections for booked properties in 2021 and pushed through an Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) proposal for electricity connections in 2024 after citizens insisted that water access was meaningless without power.
The senior AAP leader noted that the same BJP-controlled MCD that sealed 1.5 lakh homes and engaged in massive illegal collections between 2007 and 2022 had consistently opposed every attempt to provide electricity connections, even when the AAP Government brought the proposal to the House.
At a press conference held at the party headquarters on Thursday, senior AAP leader Durgesh Pathak said, “The BJP took control of the MCD in 2007 and remained in power until 2022, during which people who migrated from other states and worked in Delhi built small and large homes with their life savings, only to see nearly 1.50 lakh of them sealed by the BJP-ruled MCD. The BJP councillors and corrupt officials collected lakhs of rupees from these families, who kept demanding electricity and water connections for years.” He added that the MCD’s building department functions under the MCD, and since the BJP was in power, it never gave permission for electricity or water connections because booked properties had become a major income hub for BJP leaders. Durgesh Pathak pointed out, “Arvind Kejriwal took a historic decision in 2021–22 that even booked properties have a fundamental right to water. Babasaheb’s Constitution ensures every person the right to life, and if the right to life is meaningful, access to water cannot be denied.” He added that in 2021–22, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) issued a notification directing that all properties in Delhi, including jhuggi jhopdis, unauthorised colonies, resettlement colonies and booked properties, must receive water connections. “After this notification, every person across Delhi began receiving water connections,” he said.
He noted that many people later approached the court, arguing that water could only be used if electricity was also available, and demanded electricity connections. Electricity could only be provided if the MCD building department issued an NOC, but the MCD refused. “After the AAP formed the MCD government in 2023, the MCD House passed a unanimous resolution on 26 February 2024 directing BSES Rajdhani, BSES Yamuna and Tata Power Limited to provide electricity connections in the same manner that the DJB provides water connections,” he said.
Proposal was brought by AAP councillor
Durgesh Pathak said the proposal was brought by AAP councillor Prem Chauhan from Ward 164 and AAP councillor Praveen Kumar from Ward 105. The House unanimously passed the proposal and instructed power companies to provide electricity connections to the 1.50 lakh homes sealed by the BJP government. He added, “We thank the Delhi High Court for taking cognisance of the proposal passed by the AAP government and directing BSES (Bombay Suburban Electricity Supply) Rajdhani, BSES Yamuna and Tata Power to provide electricity connections to all sealed homes in Delhi. These families can now finally receive electricity. Electricity, like water, is a fundamental right.” The senior AAP leader said, “I also thank Arvind Kejriwal, whose government passed the water-connection proposal in 2021. Had the Delhi government not passed the proposal for water connections in 2021, the AAP government in the MCD would not have been able to pass the proposal for electricity connections.”
Kuldeep Kumar said
Senior leader and MLA Kuldeep Kumar said another fraud of the BJP’s “Chachi 420 government” had been exposed. He said, “The AAP government in the MCD passed the proposal on 26 February 2024 so that residents of booked properties would not suffer for electricity connections. The Delhi High Court took cognisance of that proposal and ruled in favour of these one and a half lakh people.”
The AAP MLA said the BJP turned the MCD into a den of extortion from the moment it took power, booking properties to extract illegal money and harassing families. “After the High Court’s decision, these families have finally received major relief and light will now reach their homes,” he said.
No work in Delhi
Kuldeep Kumar said the BJP had done no work in Delhi and only took credit for the work done by others, adding that it had now begun claiming credit for even the High Court’s work and did not spare even Babasaheb’s name. He said, “The BJP governs both Delhi and the MCD. The High Court has ordered installation of electricity meters on booked properties; now the BJP should remove the seals from those properties and complete their registration. Only then will people of Delhi acknowledge that the BJP has worked in the public interest.” Kuldeep Kumar asserted, “Because of the proposal passed by the AAP government, the people of Delhi have received significant relief. This is the result of Arvind Kejriwal’s farsighted leadership.” AAP councillor from Janakpuri ward Praveen Kumar said the AAP has always prioritised the interests of the people. He said the AAP government in the MCD functioned for two years and received countless complaints that 25–square-yard homes built by poor families with their life savings had been booked by the BJP government, making it impossible for them to secure electricity connections. To resolve this long-standing problem, the AAP government placed the proposal before the MCD House. When the proposal was introduced, the BJP strongly opposed it because BJP leaders were involved in corruption linked to booked properties,” he said.
The AAP councillor added that the BJP government had not taken a single step to help people living in booked properties because its leaders were deeply entangled in corruption. “The AAP fought for electricity connections to booked properties inside the House and we won in the High Court. We thank the High Court for this decision,” he said.
