MARGAO
The public hearing conducted by the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) at Ravindra Bhavan, Margao, for South Goa on Wednesday witnessed a poor response from citizens, with most chairs in the conference hall remaining empty.
Less than 15 members of the public attended the hearing, while the majority of those present were officials from the Power Department. The low turnout appeared to have baffled JERC commission members as well as officials.
Chief Electrical Engineer (CEE) Stephen Fernandes remarked that not even one per cent of the citizens had turned up for the hearing. Stating that 99.9 per cent of the public remained absent, Fernandes cautioned against misleading narratives set by some people regarding government expenditure on public utility works.
He alleged that certain individuals were attempting to create controversy over the government’s spending on infrastructure without seeking proper clarifications, instead making what he termed “baseless statements” to mislead the public.
A Congress delegation led by party president Amit Patkar attended the hearing. Cavelossim Sarpanch Dixon Vaz and a few social activists also made submissions before the Commission.
Congress president Amit Patkar filed objections to the “Approval of True-up of FY 2024-25 on Account of Material Gaps and Incomplete Disclosures” (Petition No. 163/2026). He urged the JERC to withhold or suitably condition the approval and direct the Electricity Department to submit a time-bound recovery plan for outstanding dues. Patkar also sought tariff reclassification, an audit report on commercial usage under residential connections, and safeguards to ensure that consumers are not burdened directly or indirectly by the proposed True-up.
Cavelossim Sarpanch Dixon Vaz highlighted the large number of villas operating with domestic power connections while being used for tourism purposes. He called on authorities to take strict action against such online rental operations, stating that they do not adequately contribute to State revenue.
Social activist Romana Almeida drew attention to the condition of bundled power cables installed with much fanfare a few years ago. Former Velim Sarpanch Savio D’Silva echoed similar concerns and questioned why the technology was implemented without adequate testing.
Responding to these issues, CEE Fernandes admitted that the department may have erred in installing bundled cables at several locations without fully assessing their effectiveness.
