PANAJI
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Goa on Thursday warned of ‘Andolan 2.0’ if the BJP government goes ahead with the smart meter rollout without first fixing Goa’s poor power supply, rising electricity tariffs, and ageing infrastructure.
At a press conference, AAP leaders said the state is facing frequent power cuts, rising electricity bills, and growing pressure on consumers, while the government is focusing on installing smart meters.
AAP Goa president Valmiki Naik said the government should prioritise reliable power supply before introducing new systems.
“The BJP should first ensure uninterrupted electricity before talking about smart meters. Across Goa, people are facing frequent and unplanned power cuts,” he said, claiming there have been “more than 25 major unplanned outages across the State.”
He also raised concern over rising costs, pointing to approved tariff increases. “The government has already approved annual tariff hikes of around 4% for the next four years. At a time when people are struggling with inflation, electricity is becoming more expensive,” he said, adding that consumers are also facing higher bills due to sanctioned load issues and extra charges.
AAP vice president Roque Mascarenhas said there is no shortage of electricity, but a lack of political will. He said the main problem is ageing infrastructure. “Goa’s transformers and power distribution system are decades old and need urgent upgrading. Instead of investing in infrastructure, the government is focusing on publicity exercises,” he said.
He added that unless the distribution network is upgraded, power cuts and voltage fluctuations will continue.
Youth president Pujan Malvankar said electricity has become increasingly unaffordable for ordinary people. “Electricity is not a luxury; it is a basic need. The BJP promised better power supply but has failed to deliver. Families, students, small businesses, and senior citizens are all suffering due to irregular supply and rising bills,” he said.
AAP also cited examples from other states, claiming that improved efficiency and subsidised power models show what is possible with political will. The party said Punjab has achieved distribution efficiency of over 90%.
