The Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) has criticized the state electricity department's 24x7 supply promise and compensation clauses, calling them ineffective. In a representation to the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC), GCCI urged the commission to push the department to replicate successful models from Delhi and Maharashtra.
Excessive Use of Force Majeure Excuses
GCCI highlighted that the electricity department frequently invokes terms like "force majeure", grid failure, maintenance, or "unavoidable circumstances" to avoid paying compensation to manufacturing units and commercial establishments during power cuts. According to a GCCI official, these exclusions are so broad that the department can claim almost any prolonged outage falls under them.
Demand for Faster Restoration
The chamber also noted that the department currently has a 24-hour window to restore power, which is excessively long. GCCI demands this be reduced significantly. "If power isn't back within, say, 6-8 hours, compensation should start automatically," the official said.
Support with Conditions
While GCCI broadly welcomed JERC's draft 'Specific Conditions of Transmission and Distribution Licence' for the Goa electricity department regulations 2026, which mandates 24x7 uninterrupted supply, its support comes with pointed conditions. The chamber has asked JERC to ensure that compensation paid to consumers is not quietly recovered through future tariff hikes. Instead, accountability should be fixed on the officials or persons responsible for the power failure.
Models Worth Replicating
In its representation, GCCI pointed to Delhi and Maharashtra as examples. Delhi's regulator requires restoration within one hour of an unscheduled outage, with consumers receiving Rs 50 per hour for the first two hours and Rs 100 per hour thereafter. Maharashtra's rules mandate restoration within three to six hours, with compensation of Rs 10 per kW of sanctioned load per hour after the deadline, capped at Rs 200 per hour per consumer.
