PANAJI: Escalating its attack on the State government over soaring electricity bills, AAP Goa on Friday demanded the immediate withdrawal of penalty charges linked to sanctioned load violations and warned of a protest march to Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar’s residence if the issue is not resolved by this evening.
Addressing a press conference, President Valmiki Naik said electricity bills had “crossed all logical limits”, with households across Goa receiving bills running into thousands of rupees. He pointed to recent protests by consumers from Anjuna and Mapusa and widespread complaints on social media as evidence of growing public anger.
“The primary reason for the sudden spike in bills is the penalty being imposed for exceeding sanctioned load limits. Many consumers took electricity connections 20 or 30 years ago and are not even aware of what their sanctioned load is today,” Naik said.
He argued that changes in household consumption over the years, including the addition of appliances such as air-conditioners and refrigerators, were natural and did not cause any financial loss to the Electricity Department since consumers already pay for the electricity they consume.
“The department is penalising people simply because they have not completed paperwork to revise their sanctioned load. This is unfair and unreasonable,” he said.
Naik alleged that the process of increasing sanctioned load was being used to collect security deposits and processing fees from consumers, describing the move as “extortion”. He also criticised the government for introducing what he termed additional burdens on consumers through digital meters and charges such as Public Lighting Duty and FPPCA.
Claiming that the Electricity Department’s revenue receipts had increased significantly over the past five years, Naik alleged that the rise was disproportionate to population growth and the increase in electricity connections.
He further criticised the government’s proposed smart meter rollout, claiming that the project would place additional financial pressure on consumers. According to Naik, funds earmarked for smart meters could instead be used to strengthen power infrastructure and promote solar energy adoption.
Targeting Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar, Naik objected to remarks suggesting that complaints over electricity bills were being exaggerated for political reasons.
“How can people earning Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 a month be expected to pay electricity bills of Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000? These concerns are genuine and cannot be dismissed as political drama,” he said.
The AAP leader demanded the immediate withdrawal of the sanctioned load penalty, a three-month window for consumers to regularise their sanctioned load documentation, and a waiver on additional security deposit requirements during the process.
“We are giving the government time until this evening. If no decision is announced, AAP will march to the Power Minister’s residence tomorrow. This is not a political issue but a problem affecting ordinary Goans,” Naik said.
He also accused the BJP-led government of imposing a financial burden on citizens while increasing public debt, and alleged that future plans could include the privatisation of electricity distribution in the State.
Naik said AAP would announce the time and venue of the protest march if the government fails to address its demands by the stipulated deadline.
