the goan I network
PANAJI
The Goa electricity department’s plea for a revision of the methodology of billing including a tweak in consumption slabs found stiff opposition at the public hearing on the issue conducted by the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission.
The entire political Opposition formally objected and asked that it be rejected even as Power Minister Nilesh Cabral defended it saying it was illogical to give the benefit of low tariffs for consumers from well to do sections of the population.
The united Opposition alleged before the Commission which held the hearing at the EDC conference hall in the city on Wednesday morning that the proposed changes sought in billing of consumers from a non-telescopic to telescopic approach is an attempt to mislead consumers and levy higher costs for power consumed.
For the first time perhaps, legislators from the Opposition attended the JERC conducted public hearing and formally submitted their objections to the plea of the Electricity Department to allow it to tweak the billing system for 2020-21.
The letter signed by the 10 legislators occupying the Opposition benches - five of the Congress, three of the Goa Forward Party, one of the MGP and one Independent - was submitted to the JERC chairman.
The letter even brought objection to the very conduct of the public hearing by the JERC in a situation where the public has not been made fully aware of the submissions made by the Electricity Department to support its plea for the change in billing methodology as well as tariffs.
Meanwhile Power Minister Nilesh Cabral defended the
department’s proposal saying the old methodology of non-telescopic approach for billing of consumers is proposed to be changed to telescopic as the lowest slab is meant for the “poor”.
“Why should the advantage of low tariff be given to others? The old system was wrong and it is proposed to be rectified,” Cabral said and denied that tariffs are being increased.
“We have not proposed any increase in tariff,” Cabral said and hit out at the Opposition for objecting to the proposal before the JERC commission on Wednesday morning.
Cabral said the action of the Opposition is nothing but “show” and opined that the legislators should have approached him or the department with their objections to the plan instead of doing it at the public hearing.
“It was only for the show”, he said and added that they should have come to me with suggestions.
For the first time perhaps, legislators from the Opposition parties attended the JERC-conducted public hearing
They formally submitted their objections to the plea of the power dept to allow it to tweak billing system for 2020-21
