Chief Minister defends electricity charges
Panaji: A heated debate broke out in the State Legislative Assembly on Wednesday over power tariffs and smart meters, leading the Opposition MLAs to storm the Well of the House twice as they demanded relief from the surging electricity bills and urged that smart meters remain optional for consumers.
Making a statement in the House, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that the smart meter installation for domestic consumers has been kept on hold and a related circular would be issued immediately.
“I am ready to change the power tariff rates in Goa if the Opposition can prove that any state has lower rates than Goa,” he said, pointing out, “If they show us a state with a lower tariff, I will accept that rate.”
Sawant further defended Goa’s power tariffs, stating that consumers using up to 100 units are charged Rs 2.10 per unit, while those consuming up to 300 units pay Rs 3.10 and those consuming below 500 units are charged Rs 4.15 per unit.
Earlier, Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai sought year-wise details of electricity tariff revisions since 2021, including category-wise tariffs and charges. He also sought details of smart meters installed since 2024, including costs, funding, agencies and related government orders.
Power Minister Ramakrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar said that Goa has the best electricity rates in the country and that installation of smart meters is currently mandatory as per the in-force rules and regulations of the Union Ministry and Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC).
He also said that Rs 32 crore recovered from power consumers has already been reimbursed and urged people to opt for solar power under green energy initiative to reduce electricity bills.
Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao compared Dhavalikar with the 18th Century Queen of France, Mary Antoinette, who had supposedly said, “If they have no bread, let them eat cake!”
Alemao also alleged that the DigiSmart smart meter agency has been given a relief of Rs 18 crore, in the preference bank guarantee of Rs 44 crore.
Later speaking to reporters, Dhavalikar said that there was “unnecessary chaos” in the Assembly over electricity charges, further asserting that Goa’s power tariffs are among the lowest as compared to the other states and Union territories.
He also said that JERC is the final authority on tariff decisions and the government has no say before the regulator.
The Power Minister also told the pressmen that smart meters and digital meters have the same calculation system and attributed higher bills to climatic conditions. He said that he had asked all 38 MLAs to install smart meters, but none came forward.
