Goa Power Minister Nilesh Cabral making excuses like schoolboy who forgot his homework: Satyendar Jain

Aam Aadmi Party senior leader and Delhi Power Minister Shri Satyendar Jain on Monday debated with Goa’s Power Minister Nilesh Cabral who had challenged the Delhi Government’s Model of Free and 24x7 electricity supply in Delhi. The Power Minister in the debate reinforced that tariffs would not increase in the state in the next 5 years and as per the CAG report Delhi has been operating on a budget surplus. Shri Satyendar Jain further stressed on the fact that the Delhi Government wants to give back the taxpayers’ money in the form of free electricity instead of buying MLAs like the BJP government while adding that the issue would not have been put up for debate had the Congress announced it because the Goa Government knows that what Kejriwal says, he does. When Shri Jain pointed out that Goan Ministers enjoy free electricity, Nilesh Cabral lied that they don’t; Shri Jain instantly shot down his lies and produced papers from Mr Cabral’s own department stating that ministers get free electricity.

The debate kicked off with Shri Satyendar Jain explaining the Delhi model where he said, “200 units of electricity are free in Delhi and the rate is halved for up to 400 units. To make this process simpler for the people, 300 units would simply be free for consumers in Goa.” Furthermore, Shri Satyendar Jain stressed upon the fact that the taxpayers' money should be returned to them via free electricity instead of using it to buy MLAs.

“Delhi has been power efficient with free electricity for the past 5 years and does not use generators and inverters anymore. The AAP government wants to instil a similar model in Goa to ensure that Goa does not undergo as many power cuts as it has been undergoing and to make sure that the common people get free electricity too, and not just the ministers. The tariffs in Delhi have not increased for the past 7 years and we will make sure they don't increase in Goa for the next 5 years either. Goa will soon forget what power cuts are just like Delhi has,” he added.

Satyendar Jain quickly shot down the Goa's power minister's claim of their ministers not getting electricity for free when Shri Jain showed a document from Nilesh Cabral’s department itself stating that ministers get free of cost residence, water, and power in the state. “The government in Goa should have done something in the last 10 years of their governance instead of just showing proactiveness now when the AAP is trying to look out for the people of Goa,” Delhi’s Power Minister said.

Jain again stressed the fact that money that could have been used to give free electricity to taxpayers has been used for the buying and selling of MLAs in Goa. He further mentioned that price would not matter as electricity upto 300 units would be completely free and the people would have to pay absolutely no money for consuming 300 units of electricity. The Power Minister further talked about the Delhi Government’s efficient management of funds and operating at a budget surplus installed trust in the government. Although Nilesh Cabral tried to raise baseless questions and claimed that the AAP government had borrowed money from the people, he was not able to solidify his point.

Satyendar Jain emphasised that the citizens of Goa are their sole focus and not private companies. AAP wants to make the process transparent and promised to waive-off pending electricity bills in a one-time settlement to start on a clean sheet and make sure everybody benefits from it.

He mentioned that almost 87% of Goa uses up to 300 units, which is why 300 units of free electricity would be extremely beneficial for the state. Nilesh Cabral alleged that Goa will go bankrupt if Satyender Jain’s model was put in place to which Delhi's Power Minister replied “per capita budget of Goa is five times that of Delhi and this model will help return the taxpayers' money to the citizens of Goa.”

The moderator questioned Shri Jain if Goa’s economic model and its drop in tourism were taken into consideration while offering the subsidy. To this, the Delhi Power Minister reinstated trust in the AAP government by confirming Delhi’s past successes and its good management of funds.