AAP fooling people with free electricity promise: Goa CM

Speaking at a government function in Panaji, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that AAP is fooling people with free electricity promise.

Panaji: The Aam Aadmi Party is trying to fool people of Goa with their poll promise of free electricity, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Thursday.

Speaking at a government function here, Sawant also said that while the monetary worth of AAP's promise to offer free power up to 200 units to domestic consumers, may amount to around Rs. 200 per household, the state BJP-led coalition government was already providing direct cash transfer benefits to most households in Goa to the tune of thousands of rupees, through various government schemes.

"It is easy to fool people by saying power will be given free. Instead of giving free power, we have already given so much more money to the people," Sawant said.

"And if they give power free, it will only be to those Delhi residents who have second homes in Goa, not Goans. Many Delhiites have second homes here," Sawant said.

The ruling BJP and a resurgent AAP have been engaging in a war of words for the last few days over the Delhi power tariff model, which Delhi AAP MLA Raghav Chadha promised to emulate in Goa if the party wins the 2022 state assembly polls.

Chadha, who was in Goa earlier this week and Goa Power Minister Nilesh Cabral were also involved in a verbal feud after the former accepted Cabral's challenge for a public debate on the power tariff in both the states.

Cabral eventually backed out from the challenge arguing that it was against protocol for a Cabinet minister to engage in a public debate with an "ordinary MLA".

(IANS)