New Delhi, June 6 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will protest Monday against the Delhi government for not allowing power regulator Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) to reduce power tariff in the city.

A day before the scheduled announcement of the new reduced tariff order, the government Friday directed the DERC to withhold the order till it gave the regulator the go-ahead. The DERC had announced that there was a need to reduce tariff rates in the capital.

The BJP has accused the city government of conspiring with the private power companies – BSES Yamuna, BSES Rajdhani and North Delhi Power Limited (NDPL) – in not letting people save their money and also in exploiting them.

‘The party is organising a dharna against the Delhi government and power distribution companies at Jantar Mantar,’ Delhi BJP chief Vijendra Gupta said in a statement.

Gupta said he, along with some senior party leaders, will also meet Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to lodge a protest and present a memorandum on reducing power tariff.

The chief minister Friday said that it was up to the power regulator to decide the new tariff in the city.

The three power companies have been asking for hike in power tariff, saying they are running into a combined loss of Rs.2,600 crore.