Awareness before penalty, information before intimidation : Citizens are consumers, not targets for revenue collection : Panjikar

Goa Khabar : Goa Pradesh Congress Committee Chairman, Media & Communication Department, Amarnath Panjikar, has strongly criticized the Electricity Department and the BJP Government for their failure to adequately inform electricity consumers regarding the issue of sanctioned load and the penalties now being imposed on consumers across the State.

Questioning the Government’s approach, Panjikar asked why individual notices were not sent directly to every electricity consumer when the Department possesses complete consumer records, billing addresses, mobile numbers, and other contact details.

“If the Government was genuinely interested in ensuring compliance, why were notices merely published in newspapers? Is there any law that requires every electricity consumer to read newspaper advertisements in order to avoid penalties? Why were these important notices not printed and sent along with monthly electricity bills that are delivered to every consumer?” Panjikar questioned.

He further stated that the Government had several consumer-friendly options available, including SMS alerts, WhatsApp notifications, bill inserts, awareness campaigns through local bodies, public announcements, and social media outreach. However, none of these measures were effectively utilized.

“The primary responsibility of the Government is to inform, educate, and assist consumers. Instead, the BJP Government appears more interested in penalizing citizens than helping them comply with regulations. Consumers should not be punished for the Government’s own failure to communicate effectively,” he said.

Panjikar noted that lakhs of consumers, particularly senior citizens, rural residents, and ordinary households, may not have been aware of the technical requirements related to sanctioned load. Imposing penalties without ensuring widespread awareness is both unfair and insensitive.

He demanded that the Power Minister explain why a comprehensive consumer awareness drive was not undertaken before initiating penal action and urged the Government to immediately suspend penalties until every consumer is properly informed and given a reasonable opportunity to comply.

“The people of Goa are already burdened by rising prices, increased cost of living, and mounting household expenses. The Government must stop treating consumers as easy targets for revenue collection. Transparency, accountability, and consumer welfare must take precedence over arbitrary penalties and bureaucratic high-handedness,” Panjikar asserted.

He concluded by stating that the Congress Party stands firmly with electricity consumers and will continue to raise their concerns until justice is ensured.