In the past Goans were shocked to receive high bills for domestic power consumption. There was a sudden unexplainable steep rise in the electricity bills. This time around it is understood that several households in the state have been getting very high water bills which is indeed a matter of concern. Those households which were getting water bills amounting to hundreds were shocked to see that they had to pay water bills amounting to thousands of rupees and even a lakh. It may be recalled that the Goa government had announced free water of 16,000 litres per month for each household. However, on the contrary, Goans are getting high water bills. The government admitted that the inflated bills were due to an error by the Water Department and has reportedly asked consumers not to pay inflated bills and has also promised refunds for those who paid the bills. However, it is understood that the possibility of disconnection by the administration for not paying the bill looms large. The government needs to see that no water connection is disconnected for not paying the inflated bill. The issue of inflated bills should be resolved at the earliest. If there is something wrong with the water metres, then they need to be replaced. Having come out from the pandemic, Goans are facing a lot of financial problems and getting inflated water bills is like rubbing salt on their wounds.
