PANAJI
The Goa Electricity Department came under fire from consumers and industry representatives on several counts, particularly for the lack of initiative to recover past energy dues from rogue consumers, which have amassed to over the Rs 1,000 crore mark.
Consumer activist Roland Martins castigated the department for its “abject failure” in tackling power thefts and the brazen usage of power by commercial establishments in the tourism sector under ‘domestic’ connections.
Martins, who mentors the noted consumer rights organisation GOACAN, urged the JERC to mandate the GED to set up dedicated cells to tackle power theft and recover money from rogue consumers.
“The lack of initiative by the department to recover this huge quantum of energy arrears is impacting the department’s financial position, thus requiring it to hike tariffs. It is burdening the honestly paying consumers,” Martins argued.
He also urged the JERC to fix accountability in the department for the huge investments being made on “failed projects”, citing the ‘bunch cable’ project where some Rs 150 crore was spent.
“Fix accountability, whether it is the politician or the department’s official, and recover the money spent on such failed projects,” Martins said, even as he demanded that estimated costs in tenders for projects be skimmed to the bare minimum.
The GED’s failure to recover money for usage of its infrastructure for advertising and for hanging wires by cable and internet service providers was also flagged at the hearing.
One elderly consumer from Ponda argued that no power tariff hikes or any public hearing would be required if the GED were prudent in recovering the money due to it from these service providers hanging cables and from advertisers using its poles to erect hoardings and posters.
The Goa Forward Party (GFP) questioned the need for a power tariff hike when the GED had failed to collect power arrears from the government’s own departments and corporations.
It said over Rs 100 crores were due from government departments, and recovery of this amount should not be a problem since no litigation would be involved.
