Goa: AAP reiterates free electricity promise, BJP harps on subsidised rates

Goa power minister Nilesh Cabral and his AAP counterpart from Delhi Satyendar Jain on Monday took part in a public debate on the latter's promise of free electricity for up to 300 units in case of a win in the 2022 Assembly polls here.

In the debate held here, Cabral said the BJP government would not provide free electricity in Goa but continue to supply it at highly subsidized rates, adding that freebies like the the one promised by the Aam Aadmi Party came at a heavy cost to the state exchequer.

He also claimed the AAP government in Delhi was taxing people in others ways to make up for the losses brought about by such freebies.

Jain, taking part in the debate, said his party wanted people of Goa to have 300 units of electricity free so that they can get maximum benefits from the taxes they pay.

"Goans too deserve free power because Goa has a much higher per capita budget than Delhi. Despite this, people here get basic amenities of poor quality. There are frequent power cuts here, and the common man suffers," Jain claimed.

After the debate, Chief minister Pramod Sawant tweeted that Cabral "represented the people of Goa today against politics of falsehood, lies and misleading propaganda and bust the myth of freebies".

The CM said his government had struck a prefect balance between economic reforms and implementation of welfare measures.