New Delhi, June 4 (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Friday said it was up to the power regulator, the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC), to decide on new power tariff at a time when the state government is accused of being sympathetic to the capital’s power companies.

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

‘If the power tariff can go down, the government will be the happiest. But, at the same time the DERC should look into the problem,’ Dikshit told reporters.

Asked about the government’s support to the three discoms – BSES Yamuna, BSES Rajdhani and North Delhi Power Limited (NDPL) – the chief minister said the government has not even looked into their accounts.

‘We have said (to DERC) take everything into consideration,’ she added.

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