Panaji | October 25, 2025:
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Goa has launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led state government for its decision to impose a 20% electricity surcharge on consumption between 5 p.m. and 9 a.m., terming it an “anti-people and anti-middle-class” move that will worsen the financial burden on Goans already struggling with rising costs.
Addressing the media in Panaji, AAP State President Adv. Amit Palekar accused the BJP government of being insensitive to the needs of the common man and claimed that Goans are already overcharged for power consumption. Displaying an actual electricity bill, he said,
“Goans are already paying over 25% extra on the base power fare. Now, this government wants to impose an additional 20% surcharge. BJP wants to take us back to the stone age — where people use lamps instead of lights.”
Palekar further criticised the government’s contradictory stance on electric vehicles (EVs), pointing out that most citizens charge their EVs at night.
“This move will directly hit EV users. The same government that promoted electric mobility now wants to penalise those who adopted it. This exposes their hypocrisy and lack of foresight,” he said.
AAP National Youth Vice President Siddesh Bhagat launched a blistering personal attack on the BJP ministers, branding them as the “real Narkasurs of Goa.”
“The only waste of resources is the money spent on these ministers’ salaries. They enjoy all the luxuries of power while looting Goans. This BJP Government and its ministers are the real Narkasurs, out to burn a hole in every Goan’s pocket,” Bhagat remarked.
Taking a dig at Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar, Bhagat quipped,
“If Dhavalikar wants to penalise citizens for using electricity, people should take their EVs and charge them at his residence. Before punishing Goans, the government should first ensure reliable and affordable power.”
AAP National Spokesperson Valmiki Naik said the surcharge is another example of the BJP’s pro-industrialist and anti-people policies.
“The BJP’s model is simple — reward industrialists and exploit the common man. Electricity is a basic necessity guaranteed by the Constitution, yet this government treats it as a tool for exploitation,” Naik said.
He added that while AAP governments in Delhi and Punjab have reduced or eliminated electricity bills for households, the BJP in Goa continues to push policies that burden ordinary families, students, and small businesses.
“AAP believes in providing basic services like electricity free of cost to citizens, but BJP only believes in looting them,” Naik stated.
Concluding the press conference, AAP leaders demanded that the government immediately withdraw the 20% power surcharge, warning that the party will launch a state-wide agitation if the decision is not reversed.
— Aam Aadmi Party, Goa
