CM says hike in electricity tariff is bare minimum

PANAJI: Chief minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday defended the hike in power tariff in Goa, and said the increase has been “bare minimum”.
He also said that if state govt doesn’t increase the tariff, Goa would lose over Rs 2,500 crore in power subsidy from Union govt.
Sawant said that the people of Goa don’t want power failures, and also don’t want even a small increase in the electricity bill.“We cry on both sides, whether there’s a power shortage, or whether there’s a small tariff hike. This cannot happen. We have to adjust with a little hike,” he said.
“If you compare the power tariffs in Maharashtra and Karnataka with that of Goa, ours is very low,” he said.
“Goans are not aware about shutdowns. If you go and check in the neighbouring states, you will get to know about power shutdowns. The power goes off in the morning, and is restored in the evening. We have never seen shutdowns in Goa, and we don’t have any plans for this in the future either,” said Sawant.
Sawant said that the hike in power tariff is decided by the joint electricity regulatory commission (JERC), not govt. “While deciding on the power tariff, we also decide what subsidy the state will receive from Union govt,” he said. “If we do not increase the power tariff and continue to provide a subsidy, Centre will question the need to release the subsidy to Goa.”
He further explained the situation stating that if a power subsidy is provided by state govt, “Centre will say, you have excess money, that’s why you’re providing a power subsidy to consumers”. Sawant said that the common man is not burdened with the hike in tariff, and will have to pay just Rs 8-10 more per month. “The increase is 60-90 paise per unit. There will be a higher tariff for commercial consumers,” he said. “If we don’t increase the power tariff, we will not be able to get this power subsidy, and the state will face losses from both sides.”
The chief minister said that during his tenure, state govt has spent Rs 2,000 crore to improve power infrastructure. “We have completed work on underground cabling and installation of new transformers,” he said. He also said that state govt would soon send proposals to the Centre to avail its subsidy. “We will get the subsidy soon,” he said. “We need an additional amount of Rs 3,000 crore to boost infrastructure in the state,” he said. Sawant also said that if the state wishes to reduce its carbon footprint, there’s a need to replace generators. Goa is the first state in India to lay underground cabling for the public before laying it for industries, he said.
The chief minister also said that the Tamnar project is almost complete, and would be inaugurated in October.