PANJIM: The Congress on Thursday said that Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar must first recover Rs 1460 cr from non-domestic consumers before checking power overloads of common people.
Addressing a press conference, Congress Media Cell Chairman Amarnath Panjikar said,
“There are arrears of Rs 1460 crore from commercial, industrial and government offices consumers of the Electricity Department. Power Minister Ramkrishna alias Sudin Dhavalikar should first take steps to recover the amount from these defaulters before checking power overloads of common people.”
“There are around 14,000 defaulters under commercial category, 635 defaulters under industrial category, 2,669 defaulters under Government Offices/Corporations/Aided Societies etc and around 3480 defaulters whose arrears are over a lakh. The total amount of all these defaulters is Rs 1460.81 crore and this is pending from 2018-19 onwards,” Panjikar claimed, showing replies to Goa Legislative Assembly in July 2023.
He alleged that in spite of government spending Rs 12,000 crore on power distribution system from 2019 to 2023 power interruptions continue.
“Recently, Verna and other industrial estates faced power outages for almost three days. Industries and households suffered the same fate with towns like Mapusa face frequent power cuts,” Panjikar said.
“Sudin Dhavalikar talks big about underground cabling in various parts of Goa. We want to ask him who is responsible for the danger posed to the common people due to complete negligence of the Electricity Department in restoring the roads during monsoons in various parts of Goa. Who will take the responsibility if any untoward incident takes place due to huge pits dug on the roads and left open without any fencing,” questioned Amarnath Panjikar.