CURCHOREM: The Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) on Wednesday demanded that fresh electricity bills with a waiver of two month’s consumption charges or a 50 per cent discount be issued to the consumers.
The members of the Curchorem, Quepem and Sanguem Congress blocks along with State office bearers led by vice president Sankalp Amonkar made this demand during an agitation near the Electricity Department, Curchorem.
A memorandum signed by the GPCC president, CLP Leader Digmabar Kamat and Amonkar was submitted to the Power Minister Nilesh Cabral.
They also provided a third option to explore the possibility to charge consumers as per the February power bill.
“We want to suggest that the government can waive off all bills with consumption charges upto Rs 5,000 and can give a 50 per cent discount for more than Rs 5,000,” the memorandum reads. They mentioned that due to the COVID pandemic and economic slowdown, the people are going through immense financial tensions as many have lost their jobs or have halted their business activities and in such a condition receiving such hefty bills is great injustice to the common man.
“The government should have shown some humanity in these critical times and should have given some relief by issuing discounted bills but the power department is doing just the opposite,” they claimed.
“There is no 100 per cent increase in the power bills but one or two per cent units have increased as people remained indoors during the lockdown period,” said Cabral.
“I will put up their demand before the Chief Minister and try to come out with some scheme. The Cabinet meeting is cancelled as the CM has contracted the infection. I will definitely bring it before the cabinet during the next meeting,” said Cabral.
The police team made elaborate arrangements to control the law and order situation.
