Team Herald
Margao: In a sharp reaction to the recently announced power bill waiver, all political parties tore into the government and compared the waiver amounts as peanuts for the common man at a time when a much larger waiver had been demanded for.
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They accused the ruling BJP of playing a joke on the people of Goa. They also pointed out that by late Tuesday evening, the day it was announced, Goans realized that the waiver that they are going to get is not more then 50 or 60 rupees, which is too minuscule for the Goans who are reeling and suffering from the high power bills.
Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat said that the perfunctory action of announcing 50 per cent waiver in fixed charges of power tariff bills for 2 months, will not give any relief to the people who are under financial burden in the COVID-19 pandemic. “I demand that the Chief Minister must accept recommendations of the Congress Party and waive 50% consumption charges said Kamat.
NCP Goa Chief Jose Philip D’souza said, “Everything from businesses, jobs and the income of the people has been disturbed by the COVID-19 pandemic and in these testing times, the government has to comfort the people and help relieve their troubles. I had warned that the people wouldn’t be able to pay as there is mass unemployment. In this condition, the people will start panicking if they are pressured too much. It is totally wrong. The government is passing on few pennies of waiver to the people.”
AAP Goa leader Sidharth Karapurkar said, “This is cheating the people by claiming 50% when ultimately the maximum benefit is Rs 60 to 70 rupees for the consumers. The Delhi AAP Government has reduced it to half. AAP in Delhi is giving power to poor consumers for free. If Delhi can do it, why can’t the Goa government do it?”
GFP leaders said the waiver of the fixed charges of electricity bills is just a sham. “The statement of the Power Minister claiming that this is a transmission line rebate received from the Centre that they are passing on to the people, conveys that they wouldn’t have given any relief if there was no rebate received. Goans are not going to accept these peanuts of waiver. If the Government doesn’t withdraw its statement of waiver and use that fund for COVID care, then I urge Goans to pass on the 50 or 60 rupees to the CM Relief fund,” said GFP spokesperson Dilip Prabhudesai.
