Fulfilling yet another election promise, the Aam Aadmi Party government on Wednesday ordered a CAG audit into the finances of all the power companies operating in the National Capital Territory of Delhi. The decision to audit the private companies came a day after it announced a 50 per cent subsidy to those consumers whose monthly power consumption does not cross 400 units. Rejecting the contention of the private power distributors, the Delhi government recommended to Lt. Gov. Najeeb Jung that the finances of the private companies be audited as they had failed to explain why such an exercise should not be carried out against them. The LG immediately ordered the CAG to audit the finances of the three power companies. “We have ordered an audit of the private power distribution companies. The CAG has said it will do the audit,” Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal told reporters after a meeting with his Cabinet colleagues. He said the Lt. Gov.’s order on the audit of the companies would go to the CAG on Thursday. “From tomorrow, the audit will begin,” he added. The Delhi government had given time to the three companies — BSES Yamuna Power Ltd, BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd and Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd — till Wednesday morning to present their views on why there should not be a CAG audit of their companies. Asked what the companies have told the government, Mr Kejriwal said they had given numerous reasons but not one satisfactory reason why the audit should not be done. “Nobody has given any reason why there should not be an audit,” he said, adding the auditing would cover the period from the days power distribution was privatised in the national capital. The CM also rejected the view that the matter was sub judice and the decision cannot be taken. “The matter has been in the high court and proceedings are on. No stay has been granted. Even now the proceedings can go on.” On complaints about the defective quality of power meters, Mr Kejriwal said the government would approach IIT Delhi and Delhi College of Engineering for suggestions on improving the quality of meters. He said there was a constant demand for auditing of private power distribution companies and the previous government was “misleading” the people in saying there was a stay on the matter. “What the previous government could not do in four years, we have done in four days,” he said. Asked about BJP leader Arun Jaitley’s criticism that his government was taking populist measures with short-term objectives, Mr Kejriwal said people could argue about the quantity of water to be supplied free but any civilised government has a duty to provide it.