NEW DELHI: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India's auditors claim to have made significant breakthrough in their audit of Delhi discoms, according to sources who said a report on Delhi's power distribution companies could be out as early as this summer vindicating the Aam Aadmi Party's suspicion of possible irregularities.

During his 49-day government, Arvind Kejriwal had recommended audit of the three power distribution companies in January 2014. AAP has alleged nexus between the discoms and Congress and BJP and blamed it for the high electricity charges in Delhi.

According to sources, the auditors have found that several high value customers of most of the discoms were paying their bills in cash, which is against rules. These customers had bills of lakhs of rupees every month, one source said.

The second major finding of the CAG audit is anomalies in the way the Delhi government extended a few hundred crore rupees worth of assistance to the discoms. It is not clear if the questions are over the Rs 3450 crore that the government provided to cover losses of distribution companies between 2002-03 and 2006-07.

One source said the auditors have "significant findings" that would validate many of the concerns raised by AAP. At least an interim report could be ready by early this summer, he indicated.

The three power discoms-- Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd, and Reliance Power subsidiaries BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd and BSES Yamuna Power Ltd-- had challenged the CAG's right to audit their books after the then AAP government ordered the audit in January 2014.

But the Delhi High Court refused to stay the Delhi government order, asking the three discoms to give their accounts for auditing by CAG. It ordered the three companies to cooperate with CAG and asked the auditor not to submit its report to the state government until March 19 this year, the date for next hearing.

Indications are that the CAG could be ready with an interim report by then, and once the court gives its go ahead it would only take a few weeks for it to be submitted to the Delhi government.

If the report vindicates AAP's stand, it would strengthen its arguments for closer scrutiny of discoms, and the possibility of providing electricity at cheaper rates.

