PANJIM: PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral on Monday clarified that there is no question of roll back in water tariff hike.
Cabral also said that the scheme of 16,000 litres of 16 free units of water per month remains undisturbed even after 5 per cent increase in tariff.
The PWD Minister was replying on the water tariff hike that is being criticised by the opposition parties. Cabral said, “The scheme of giving 16 units which is 16, 000 litres of free water remains undisturbed. In fact, it was a scheme for water conservation and it helped in that manner.”
Cabral also added that several households are ready to opt out of the free water scheme subsidy and want to be billed for their consumption.
“I will hold discussion with the Chief Minister and try to include a provision for the people to opt out of scheme like the LPG subsidy, in which crores of citizens have opted out on the call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.
While replying to the criticism from opposition, Cabral said, “The critics need to first understand the hike and then criticise. Don’t criticise for the sake of it.”
Earlier, a delegation of the Goa Forward Party met the Principal Chief Engineer of PWD and handed a memorandum demanding roll back of hike within next 15 days. The GFP delegation was led by Santosh Kumar Sawant, Vikas Bhagat and others.
Bhagat alleged that the Chief Minister took an award at the hands of President of the nation for 100 per cent completion of ‘Har Ghar Jal’. “However, areas of Canacona still lack tap water,” he claimed.
Santosh Kumar said that several areas of Maem village still don’t have water pipelines and now they have to face tariff hikes. “Common man will exhaust their resources just by paying bills,” he said.
Principal Chief Engineer of PWD Uttam Parsekar said that the 5 per cent water tariff hike was long over due since 2020.
“Since Covid-19 pandemic struck the nation and State, the State government decided not to hike tariff,” he said.
Parsekar also reassured that the hike is for unit price and is not going to affect the 16 units free water to the households.
