BackAAP’s plans for Delhi offer opportunities for firms
Over a million CCTV cameras in public spaces, a safety button for mobile phones are somelow-hanging fruits
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New Delhi: Companies are poring over the manifesto of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), searching for business opportunities in its 70-point action plan for Delhi, where the party swept to power winning 67 of the 70 assembly seats.
Low-hanging fruits in the manifesto include the promise to install more than a million CCTV cameras in public spaces, develop a safety button for mobile phones and measures to persuade electricity distribution companies to purchase power from “economical sources."
Many believe the agenda if implemented would open up numerous business opportunities—Delhi has a budget of ₹ 36,700 crore and plan expenditure of around ₹ 16,700 crore.
The bedrock of AAP’s pledge on women’s security, a burning issue in the capital, is a promise to install as many as 1.5 million surveillance camera’s in public spaces and buses to act as a deterrent to crime.
The party also plans to launch a Suraksha (safety) mobile phone application that would connect the user with Delhi’s police force. App developers feel the idea is good, but difficult to implement.
An app developer who did not want to be named said, “There have been attempts to make such applications by other companies as well. They have failed on various grounds including coordination among the various parties involved."
Also holding out promise of business opportunities is the party’s pledge to cut consumer electricity bills—a manifesto item from 2013.
In the 49 days it was in power the last time around, AAP had ordered an audit of power distribution companies by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) to ensure that power prices are reduced.
The new manifesto says that Delhi discoms, including BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd and BSES Yamuna Power Ltd, reported a loss of ₹ 630 crore in 2012 but an audit conducted by the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) of the same ones found a profit of ₹ 3,577 crore.
AAP feels the audit of three power distribution companies, including two BSES companies and Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd, is unfinished business from February 2014, when the last AAP government resigned.
Along with the promise to halve electricity prices, the AAP manifesto says: “Discoms should purchase power from economical sources and wriggle out of expensive and unsustainable power-purchase agreements. AAP will take measures to provide relief from rising power bills, namely generating cheaper electricity, improving transmission efficiency, fixing billing defects and correcting meter defects." Back in 2013, with only 28 MLAs, the AAP minority government had frequent run-ins with the power discoms.
This time around, the discoms have been quick to welcome the landmark verdict of Tuesday by releasing statements of support for the party. BSES said, “We extend our heartiest congratulations to Aam Aadmi Party for their emphatic win and the overwhelming support extended to them by the people of Delhi. We are committed to work with the government in ensuring uninterrupted and quality power supply and the best of consumer services in our areas of south, west, east and central Delhi. Last year, we had successfully met a peak demand of 4100MW in 2014, and we are fully geared up to meet the expected demand during the summer 2015. All power arrangements, the upgradation schemes and preventive maintenance measures are being closely monitored and we are committed to serve our 1.5 crore consumers through reliable and quality power supply on a seamless basis."
Tata Power Delhi Distribution said, “We are committed to work closely with the new government, our joint venture partner, to provide reliable and quality power supply in our area of power distribution in north and northwest Delhi. We continue to meet the power requirement/ demand of power in our area and are fully committed to serve our 70 lakh consumers by providing them with 24X7 power."
Providing free water—up to the limit of 700 litres per day, per family—is another election promise. Welcomed by Delhi’s underclass, it could also mean lucrative bulk orders for water meter makers, suppliers and installers.
The manifesto says, “At present Delhi Jal Board has no credible data. AAP will launch a comprehensive programme for the installation of bulk and domestic water metres."
The Delhi Jal Board spokesperson declined to comment for the story on any political development.
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