Daijiworld Media Network – Margao

Margao, Jul 4: The Curtorim Village Panchayat has rejected Tata Power's request seeking a licence to distribute electricity in the village under Sections 14 and 15 of the Electricity Act, 2003, citing a lack of clarity in the proposal and the absence of government approval.

According to sources, the panchayat turned down the proposal after members observed that Tata Power had approached the local body directly without routing the application through the government.

The panchayat has communicated its decision to both the company and the concerned authorities, informing them of the rejection.

Sources said the members found the proposal lacking in clarity and noted that the company had failed to obtain the necessary government sanction before approaching the panchayat.

"There was no clarity in the proposal made by the private company. Hence, the request was rejected and the panchayat has asked the company to come back with greater clarity on the issue," sources said.

Meanwhile, Goa Forward Party president Vijai Sardesai criticised the BJP-led state government, alleging that it was attempting to hand over the state's power distribution sector to a private company.

Demanding an explanation, Sardesai called on Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Power Minister Ramkrishna Dhavalikar to clarify Tata Power's reported plans to enter electricity distribution in Goa.

He further claimed that Chief Electrical Engineer Stephen Fernandes had raised strong objections to the proposal and alleged that the plan was being pushed through "the backdoor".