Centre’s green policies hit by power tariff hike: Sardesai

Panaji: The Goa Forward Party (GFP) on Saturday criticised the Goa electricity department’s proposal to increase the nighttime power tariffs by 20%. GFP President Vijai Sardesai said that such a move is not only counterproductive to the Centre’s green policies but also symptomatic of govt’s lack of long-term vision.Sardesai said that the move will directly hit electric vehicle (EV) owners who charge their vehicles at night. "On one hand, Nitin Gadkari is promoting EVs, and on the other hand, Sudin Dhavalikar is increasing the electricity fees by 20%. This means that the engine at the Centre is encouraging EVs, and the lower engine is discouraging EVs,” said Sardesai.He said that power supply cannot be seen as a luxury to be controlled or used as a revenue-generating source. “There was a time when luxury tax was levied on luxury items. When people objected to it, the tax was lifted. Electricity is not a luxury. It is a necessity. This is in conflict with the country’s green goals. This govt does not know what to do. All it knows is to extract money by squeezing the common man. This exposes the dichotomy of this govt,” said Sardesai.