Panjim, 20 June 2026
AAP Goa State President Valmiki Naik, along with Organisation Secretary Prashant Naik and Vice President Sunil Singnapurkar, launched a scathing attack on Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar over his recent statements on electricity issues in Goa, accusing him of misleading the public while attempting to justify the government’s failure to provide efficient power services and placing the burden on ordinary consumers.
AAP leaders claimed that the Chief Minister was forced to announce the rollback of smart meter implementation and the waiver of penalties only after AAP consistently raised the issue of exorbitant electricity bills and led protests demanding relief for consumers across Goa.
Addressing the media, AAP Goa President Valmiki Naik stated that AAP leaders across the state actively took up the issue of high electricity bills and penalties, demanding complete waiver of high bills and penalties to reduce the burden on the common man.
He claimed that as a result of the prolonged struggle, CM announced waive off of penalties, cancellation of application for increasing sanctioned load and rollback of smart meter implementation and This is a small victory for Goa’s every common man who was under extreme burden due to the electricity bills.
Valmiki Naik further criticised Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar for attempting to justify both high electricity costs and frequent power outages. He questioned how the government can justify charging consumers huge amounts when it is unable to provide uninterrupted electricity supply.
Valmiki Naik pointed out that while Goa experienced 19000 power outages between January 2024 to May 2025, Dhavalikar justified claiming there are only two power cuts per constituency due to changeovers, Assembly LAQ replies show that the government itself has admitted that frequent power outages are caused by grid failures, snapping of overhead lines, damaged poles, falling trees, underground cable faults, transformer failures and substation tripping. He said these problems clearly point towards inadequate maintenance, degrading infrastructure, delayed upgrades and poor preparedness by the Electricity Department.
He further questioned the government’s priorities, stating that while ₹890 crore of public money was allocated for smart meters project, people continue to suffer from frequent power outages due to infrastructure and maintainence failure. He said there is no point in installing smart meters when consumers are still being left in the dark. Valmiki Naik said that this reflects rampant corruption and misplaced priorities within the system, where sufficient funds exist but are not being invested in improving infrastructure and maintenance. He stated that consumers are being forced to pay thousands of rupees for a service that is not being delivered properly and described it as direct extortion by the Electricity Department and the BJP Government.
AAP Organisation Secretary Prashant Naik stated that the BJP Government has no intention of working for the welfare of the people and is instead focused on corruption and revenue collection while ordinary citizens continue to suffer.
Reiterating AAP’s demand for 300 units of free electricity for every household in Goa, Prashant Naik said that Dhavalikar’s argument that Goa does not generate its own electricity and therefore cannot provide free power is misleading. He stated that no state is completely self-sufficient in meeting its electricity requirements and that all states depend on the national power grid for supply.
Prashant Naik pointed out that AAP governments in Delhi and Punjab successfully purchased electricity from the grid, bearing the high cost and provided 300 units of free electricity to every household. He said that providing 300 units of free electricity in Goa would cost approximately ₹350 crore annually, which is less than one percent of Goa’s budget of over ₹30,000 crore.
He stated that the real issue is not financial feasibility but the BJP Government’s lack of intent to provide relief to the common man. He reiterated AAP’s demand that every Goan household should receive 300 units of free electricity and said that if the BJP Government is unable or unwilling to do so, it does not deserve to remain in power. He assured that if AAP forms the government, it will implement the promise.
AAP Vice President Sunil Signapurkar criticised Sudin Dhavalikar for his remarks suggesting that Arvind Kejriwal should not blindly trust local AAP leaders. He stated that AAP has consistently taken up issues concerning public welfare and played a key role in ensuring the waiver of penalties that had imposed a financial burden on consumers.
He added that the people of Goa have witnessed the work and impact of the Aam Aadmi Party and that the party remains united and committed to fighting for public causes. Sunil Singnapurkar concluded by stating that Dhavalikar’s statements reflect the fear within the BJP Government, which knows that its defeat is approaching and that the people of Goa will wipe them out in 2027.
AAP leaders demanded that not only one month’s bill but all the bills with penalties which were previously imposed and paid by the people should be refunded. AAP reiterated that the party will continue fighting for affordable electricity, better infrastructure, transparent governance and genuine relief for consumers across Goa.
