“What makes this worse is that the scheme offers a 20 per cent discount for ‘low-consumption’ households, a token gesture meant to disguise the blow. How many families can realistically qualify for such a rebate? In a state where rising temperatures have made fans and air conditioners a necessity, not a luxury, this so-called reward will benefit only a tiny fraction. The majority will end up paying more. That is not reform; it is extortion.
The Opposition is right to call this “daylight robbery.” Electricity is not a luxury; it is a basic right. Goans already pay some of the highest tariffs in the region. Add to this the four per cent annual hike approved till 2030, and you have a government that seems determined to punish its citizens for its own inefficiency.”
The Goa government’s decision to introduce a 20 per cent surcharge on electricity consumed during so-called “peak hours” is nothing short of madness. Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar may have presented it as a progressive reform to encourage conservation, but in truth, it is a tone-deaf and punitive move that hurts ordinary Goans the most — in their homes and livelihoods.
This new billing system, announced with much fanfare, claims to promote responsible usage and reward efficiency. But the “peak hour” window from 5 pm to 9 am covers nearly half the day. These are the hours when people return from work, children study, shops stay open, and families cook, eat, and rest. To levy a 20 per cent surcharge during these essential hours is to penalise people for living their daily lives.
Dhavalikar’s justification that the system will “discourage wasteful use” sounds hollow. Who decides what is wasteful? A family using a fan at night or lights for a child’s homework cannot be labelled extravagant. The real problem is not household consumption but the government’s own inefficiency, ageing infrastructure, poor load management, and frequent outages. Instead of fixing the grid, the state has chosen to pass the cost of its failures to consumers.
What makes this worse is that the scheme offers a 20 per cent discount for “low-consumption” households, a token gesture meant to disguise the blow. How many families can realistically qualify for such a rebate? In a state where rising temperatures have made fans and air conditioners a necessity, not a luxury, this so-called reward will benefit only a tiny fraction. The majority will end up paying more. That is not reform; it is extortion.
The Opposition is right to call this “daylight robbery.” Electricity is not a luxury; it is a basic right. Goans already pay some of the highest tariffs in the region. Add to this the four per cent annual hike approved till 2030, and you have a government that seems determined to punish its citizens for its own inefficiency.
The policy also makes little economic sense. Goa’s evenings are its most active hours. Restaurants, small shops, and tourism-linked businesses operate mostly after sunset. This surcharge will raise their costs sharply, pushing them to cut staff or hike prices, both of which will hurt the local economy. For a state that depends heavily on small businesses and tourism, the timing could not be worse.
Then there are families, middle-class homes that power on washing machines, fridges, and lights after work. How exactly are they supposed to shift consumption to “non-peak hours”? Should people start cooking at three in the morning? Should students finish homework before dawn? The absurdity of this policy speaks for itself.
If the government’s aim is truly energy conservation, there are more intelligent ways to achieve it. Improve the transmission network, invest in renewable generation, offer rebates for energy-efficient appliances, and promote rooftop solar schemes. Real conservation comes from technology and awareness, not by squeezing people’s wallets.
The irony is that Goa has long suffered from erratic supply and poor maintenance. Transformers blow, lines sag, and rural areas face regular blackouts. Yet the minister wants to charge extra during peak hours when the state should instead be guaranteeing uninterrupted service. People would not mind paying a little more for reliability, but what they are getting now is a surcharge for inconvenience.
It is time for accountability. Before introducing such drastic pricing, the government owes citizens transparency. Who benefits? How will the surcharge revenue be used? Will it go into upgrading the grid or into another bottomless pit of inefficiency? Without clear answers, this policy reeks of opportunism, not reform.
Electricity is the pulse of modern life. To make it unaffordable during the hours people need it most is both cruel and counterproductive. Dhavalikar’s plan may look clever on paper, but on the ground, it punishes families, small traders, and working people. This is not energy reform; it is fiscal arrogance disguised as innovation.
If Goa truly wants responsible energy use, it should start with responsible governance. Until then, this 20 per cent peak hour surcharge will remain a symbol of how disconnected our policymakers have become from the lives of the people they claim to serve.
