The Congress workers on Monday took out a protest in Calangute against local power station for frequent power tariff hikes and irregular supply of electricity. The protest was also joined in by residents against arbitrary management of the power department.
Senior party leader and former Calangute MLA Agnelo Fernandes along with former sarpanch Joseph Sequeira, Calangute forum president Premanand Diwakar, women activists and district youth president were also present in the protest.
Following the march at the local power station, an intense argument also broke out between the protesters and engineers at the station.
Fernandes said the erratic power supply has caused huge inconvenience to local people. “It is a big financial blow to the hoteliers in the area as well as the small and big private guesthouses set up by the locals. Meanwhile, the huge amount of electricity bills and bills presented every two to three months has become a major headache for the common man in the area,” the former MLA said.
Joseph Sequeira said the electricity bill is handed to people once every three months who are already under financial burden due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Electricity bills are regularly submitted in the neighbouring constituencies. But in Calangute alone, electricity bills knock on the doors once every three months, so the plight of people, already devastated by the Covid-19 Pandemic is far from over. This is happening due to the indifference of the local power department,” Sequeria said.