By Marcellus D’Souza
Apr 23: Goa’s Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar today said that in the last two years 4500 applications by the Power department for change of name, place, extra load, three phase connections but they were kept pending. Dhavalikar said all the applications will be cleared by Monday of next week.
He further announced that an insurance cover will be provided of 10 to 25 lakhs to ensure the safety of the linesmen. He appealed to the citizens to inform the department if any official of the department demands a bribe. “We will take immediate action", assured the minister.
He requested the Goa Engineering campus to produce 1 MW power for the benefit of the people.
On April 19, Goa CM Pramod Sawant has given the go-ahead to purchase 120 MW power from the open market today.
Power Minister Sudin Dhavlikar had chaired a meeting on Monday to decide if Goa requires buying Power from the open market. This is to meet the demand for extra power during the summer months. Presently, the state is facing a shortage of 70-80 megawatt.
Goa gets 600 megawatts from the Central Grid and 80 megawatt from private companies. Stephen Fernandes, chief engineer, Goa Electricity Department said, “The shortfall is because of the increasing summer heat and the non availability of coal supply."
The state requires 650 megawatts during peak times, which is a shortage of around 80 megawatts. Load shedding has to be implemented in the industrial areas of the state, which is up to 4 hours at a time. This affects production of goods.
The rate of power in the open market is Rs. 12 plus per unit. This rate was not feasible to the government as it had purchased power at the rate of Rs. 6/- per unit.
Sudin Dhavlikar had said, “After studying the demand of electricity to the state, a decision will be taken. Our aim is that industry gets enough power”. Every State in the country is undertaking load shedding, but categorically said Goa would not resort to load shedding, Sudin Dhavlikar asserted.
The power portfolio was earlier held by Nilesh Cabral who has since been appointed Legislative Affairs, Environment, Law & Judiciary and PWD.
The power portfolio has become crucial because of the Goa Tamnar Transmission Project Ltd. The Supreme Court had last week accepted the recommendation of the Central Empowered Committee’s (CEC) and had ruled that the 440KV power line be set up should be along the existing 110 KV “since it does not have any trees”. The apex court in a 219-page order said that “no trees will have to be felled for the new line”.