Cabinet clears subsidy for low-end power consumers

RELIEF FOR CONSUMERS
>> Subsidy to eligible consumers by adjustment in the monthly bill through a special column introduced in the bills itself
>> The subsidy amount will be to the extent of reverting the tariffs back to the old rates up to the 200 units slab
>> Subsidy will be for 2018-19 and will be applicable for bills since April and excess amounts will be credited towards future bills
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PANAJI: The Goa cabinet on Monday approved by circulation a proposal to provide subsidy to low tension domestic consumers who use up to 200 units per month.
The subsidy will also be given to agriculture consumers who use the power for irrigation pump-sets.
Cabinet sources said, the decision to subsidize the power bills was taken in view of the resistance from the public to the nearly 7 per-cent hike in power tariffs across all categories of consumers granted by the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission recently.
As per the tariffs approved by the JERC, the price of power was hiked from Rs 1.30 per unit to Rs 1.40 per unit (7.69%) for households consuming up to 100 units per month. The hike for those consuming up to 200 units a month was 10.54 % (from Rs 1.90 to Rs 2.10 per unit).
The Electricity Department's tariff petition seeking an average hike of 4.95% was filed before the JERC which held a 'public hearing' in January. The Commission after the public hearing, however, approved an average tariff hike of 6.37% across all categories of consumers and issued the tariff order in March, triggering protests.
Monday's cabinet decision meanwhile proposes to give the subsidy to the eligible consumers by adjustment in the monthly bill through a special column introduced in the bills itself, according to the decision taken by the cabinet. The subsidy amount will be to the extent of reverting the tariffs back to the old rates up to the 200 units slab.
The subsidy however will be only for the year 2018-19 and will be applicable for bills since April this year and the excess amounts in already paid bills will be credited towards future bills. The Electricity Department has been issued instruction to ensure changes in the billing software to include the subsidy column in the power bills.
Meanwhile, in another decision, also passed by circulation, the cabinet has approved an Ordinance to amend section 6 of the Goa Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act, 2010, to raise the upper age limit of the Chairperson.
The decision is aimed at ensuring that the incumbent chairman, Prakash Velip, will continue in office beyond attaining the age of 65 years.
Velip, who was appointed chairman of the Commission in May 2017, turned 65 on September 5 and as per the Act ceases to be the chairman with effect from that date. The ordinance once issued after Monday's cabinet decision however, will re-instate him as the Chairman.
The Ordinance approved by the cabinet raises the upper age-limit from the current 65 to 67 years.