PANJIM: A delegation from the Goa Forward Party (GFP) met Chief Electrical Engineer Stephen Fernandes on Tuesday, demanding the immediate rollback of the recent hike in power tariffs.
Led by its vice president Dilip Prabhudesai, the GFP delegation submitted a memorandum strongly opposing the 3.5 per cent increase in power tariffs, which took effect on June 16, following approval by the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC).
“This tariff hike places an unjustifiable financial burden on Goa residents, who are already grappling with the high cost of living in the State,” Prabhudesai emphasised.
He further demanded that the government focus on recovering over Rs 1,000 crore in arrears from power consumers who have evaded payment, citing pending legal matters. Prabhudesai also highlighted the need to reclassify consumers, pointing out that many properties used for commercial purposes were still being billed at domestic rates. This practice not only results in significant revenue loss but
also unfairly distributes the financial burden among honest, bill-paying citizens.
Emphasising the need for quality power supply, Prabhudesai called on the Electricity Department to ensure that services provided are commensurate with the rates charged.
“GFP President and MLA Vijai Sardesai will raise this matter in the upcoming monsoon session of the Goa Legislative Assembly,” Prabhudesai announced.
