The Goa government’s recent decision to announce ‘freebies’ has nothing to do with a ‘similar’ poll promise made by the Aam Aadmi Party, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Thursday.

The state assembly elections are due in early 2022.

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“There are those who are demanding that things should be given free, let me tell them, I did not make these announcements because of what they said. For the last two years, the government has been paying this (power tariff) subsidy, but now the cabinet has taken a decision, that is why people came to know about it,” Sawant said, referring to the power tariff rebate announced on Wednesday, which he said would cost the state government Rs 120 crore.

On Wednesday, the state cabinet approved a note, which said that the state treasury would bear the losses and subsidise power bills in the wake of the financial hardships caused by the pandemic.

“I am worried about my Goans, I am working on the antyodaya principle,” Sawant said.

The Sawant government’s sop comes amidst a poll promise made by AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, who announced free power up to the first 300 units for all domestic consumers in the state.

Sawant said that his announcement on August 15 to deliver 16,000 litres of water free of cost to homes in Goa would benefit 60 per cent of the state’s households.

“Only those who have to pay power and electricity bills, know the hardships which they can cause to households with less income,” he asserted.