MARGAO
Accusing the BJP government of putting Goa up for sale, Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai on Friday demanded that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Power Minister Ramkrishna Dhavalikar clarify Tata Power Company’s reported plan to take over power distribution in the state.
The Goa Forward chief said Goa Chief Electrical Engineer Stephen Fernandes had raised strong objections to Tata Power Company’s proposal, but alleged that it was being pushed through the backdoor.
Questioning the fate of the hundreds of crores of rupees spent on underground cabling to strengthen the state’s power infrastructure, Sardesai said Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar had rejected a similar proposal by Tata Power to distribute electricity in that state.
“The Karnataka Chief Minister has announced that he has thrown the proposal into the dustbin. In Goa, despite reservations expressed by the Chief Electrical Engineer, Tata Power Company is trying to enter through the backdoor,” he said, demanding clarity from the Chief Minister and the Power Minister.
Sardesai also questioned how Tata Power Company could directly approach a panchayat body without the knowledge of the government. He asked why the government had not scrapped the proposal submitted by the company.
“The government is moving to sell off Goa’s major public utilities. As a regional party, the Goa Forward will not allow this government to sell Goa,” he said.
