Panaji (Goa) 

Congress party in Goa today said that the State government has put people in a grim condition by forcing unprecedented and unwarranted hike in electricity tariff pushing the domestic and commercial rates on par with each other.

Former Power Minister and Current Congress legislator Digambar Kamat said that the current hike which is induced results into the tariff of domestic and commercial consumers on par with each other, which is historical situation.

“The people are forced to go through this grim situation where power tariff has become a major concern. It has set up a dangerous trend of having equal tariff for domestic and commercial consumers,” said Kamat, who addressed the press conference flanked by Goa Pradesh Congress Committee’s outgoing President Shantaram Naik.

He pointed out that as per the current hike in power tariff, the domestic users   consuming power from 301 to above 401 unit has to shell out Rs 5.10 per unit, which is equivalent to the lowest commercial slab where the charges are Rs 5.15 per unit.

The State government had recently accepted the recommendations of Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) which had suggested review in the power tariff in the coastal state. 

Kamat said that State Power Minister Pandurang Madkaikar should file an immediate appeal before the JERC to protect the interests of the domestic consumers.

Addressing the media, Naik said that  State government is entitled under Section 65 of the Electricity Act 2013 to gran subsidy to its consumers. “I would urge the government to invoke the section and give relief to the people,” he stated.

The hike in electricity has not gone well with several legislators. State health minister Vishwajit Rane on Saturday had warned of a protest if the hike is not withdrawn by April 30.