Electricity Dept has failed to protect interests of common consumers: Digambar Kamat

Panaji, Apr 2: Former Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat on Monday alleged that the electricity department in the state had failed to protect interests of the common cosumers.

Addressing a press conference along with Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Shantaram Naik at the party state headquarter in the city, he said,''Power tariff was revised last in the month of March 2015. I have been minister for power for eight years. Throughout the last so many the policy of the state government has been to give protection to the consumers. Public perception is that Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) fixes the rate of electricity but the fact is that JERC fixes the rate on the basis of recommendation of the power department. I am sure that the (increased) rates have been recommended by the power department. The department has failed to protect interests of the state before the JERC.''
The Congress MLA from Margao constituency claimed that not only tariff charges had been increased but there was hike in the connection charges also.
Probably the department had put up before the JERC to punish the both the consumers, domestic as well as commericial consumers, he alleged.
He said the department should tell the JERC that Goa was a state where interest of the small consumers were to be protected. UNI