PANJIM: The opposition parties on Sunday slammed BJP led government for its decision to hike water tariff for all consumers by five percent. The decision came into force from October 1 onwards.
The Congress, Goa Forward party (GFP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has criticised government for its insensitive and anti-people’s decision.
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GFP President and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai recalled how just before 2022 elections, the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant introduced scheme to provide 16,000 liters of water free of cost to the domestic consumers. “Six months after coming to power, the same BJP government has taken U-turn,” he said.
Sardesai questioned whether the hike is a reward to the voters, who elected BJP or to punish those, who did not vote for saffron party.
“For me, the hike seems to be a step to recover the money that the BJP spent to purchase eight Congress MLAs last month,” he said referring to political development that took place on September 14, wherein eight Congress MLAs joined BJP.
The State government in September last year had implemented the scheme, wherein all individual domestic consumers whose monthly consumption is less than 16 m3 (cubic metre) will receive a ‘zero water bill’.
Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao said that it is most unfortunate that the insensitive government has announced 5 per cent hike in water tariff on the eve of Gandhi Jayanti.
“Mahatma Gandhi & Lal Bahadur Shastri dedicated their life to help and uplift the downtrodden. We must come together and fight for the rights of poor. This will be the real tribute to the great leaders,” he said.
AAP MLA Venzy Viegas said that government decision to provide free water just before election was nothing but an attempt to fool and cheat the voters. “We demand immediate roll back of the hike,” he said.
As per the notification issued by Public Works Department (PWD), the State government was supposed to hike the water supply tariff by five per cent, annually, from 2020. However the same was not implemented till date.
“Now, therefore it is decided that the water supply tariff be increased by 5 per cent with effect from 1 October 2022 and thereafter at the beginning of each financial year,” the Notification stated.
