Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The controversy over the recent power tariff hike intensified on Monday, with opposition parties taking on the government over what they termed “confusion and mismanagement” in the implementation of new electricity rates.
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Amit Patkar, along with MLA Carlos Ferreira and other party office bearers, met the Chief Electrical Engineer (CEE) of the Electricity Department to seek clarity on the revised tariff structure. The GPCC accused the Power Minister of misleading the public regarding tariff categories.
The CEE, however, clarified that the time-of-day (ToD) tariff system currently applies only to industrial consumers and not to domestic households, as speculated. The Power Minister is expected to address the issue in a press conference soon.
Earlier in the day, GPCC leaders staged a protest outside the Electricity Department office in Panaji, demanding a rollback of the hike and an end to what they called “public confusion” over the new rates. Police stopped the protestors at the entrance.
Meanwhile, AAP Goa President Amit Palekar also hit out at the government, demanding that the recent power tariff hike be withdrawn and that the installation of smart meters be halted. He warned that the rising costs would heavily impact the middle class and cautioned that public protests could follow if the government failed to act.
The State government’s decision to introduce the ‘demand pricing’ system for domestic electricity consumers, announced by Power Minister Ramkrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar, has drawn sharp criticism from all Opposition parties, who have demanded its immediate withdrawal.
Dhavalikar had announced on Friday that under the new billing system, domestic users would face a 20% surcharge on electricity consumed during peak hours, sparking widespread political backlash the following day. Opposition leaders denounced the move as regressive, anti-people, and financially burdensome for ordinary Goans.
Starting December, consumers in Goa are expected to be billed under a “dynamic pricing” model, which imposes a 20% surcharge on power used between 5 p.m. and 9 a.m., the period designated as peak demand time.
Defending the initiative, Dhavalikar described it as a measure to promote energy efficiency and better manage power demand, even as political opposition to the plan continued to mount.
