Middle class will bear brunt of increase: Oppn

Panaji: Congress and AAP workers staged a protest at the electricity department on Monday, demanding clarity on the proposed implementation of ‘time of day’ (TOD) power tariffs for domestic consumers. Chief electrical engineer Stephan Fernandes assured them that the TOD tariff currently applies only to industrial consumers, with no plans to extend it to households.

The confusion arose after power minister Ramakrishna Sudin Dhavalikar stated that consumers using less electricity would receive a 20% discount, while those consuming more power between 5pm and 9 am would face a 20% surcharge.

“BJP has made it a practice to sit in vehicles and make absolutely irresponsible statements on policy decisions. This is the time people come home, cook their food, have a bath, and put their phones and vehicles for charging,” said Congress president Amit Patkar.

Congress demanded that the electricity department recover the Rs 570 crore in outstanding dues, including Rs 108 crore owed by govt offices. “Govt is not serious about clearing its own bills, but they are ready to put the common man in trouble,” said Patkar.

AAP Goa president Amit Palekar demanded that the department roll back the recent power tariff hike and stop the installation of smart meters, saying the middle class will bear the brunt of the increased charges. Palekar said BJP govt is burdening the middle class while wasting crores on ministerial luxuries.

Patkar, along with MLA Carlos Ferreira, met Fernandes to also seek clarity on the pricing of smart meters. Patkar alleged that the tender for smart meters is a scam, as the contract was awarded to a company that quoted nearly twice the department’s estimated cost.

“The contract has been awarded for Rs 890 crore against an estimate of Rs 467 crore,” said Patkar.