*Dear Goenkaranum,* *Everywhere Goa roads are opened up and under repairs either due to underground cabling or ditches, cuts and pot holes due to bad condition of asphalt and rain. The main reason is due to heavy vehicles plying in cities which includes trucks carrying sand & cement, supply essential goods for the market and JCBs plying for the construction of illegal high rise buildings, and importantly mainly due to underground cabling which is a disaster for Goa and it will never materialize for its quality electrical connection for the state of Goa. Both the Government have failed miserably and made mockery of this underground work as money is already siphoned into their pockets on roads repairs. Now, the responsibility lies mainly on PWD and Transport Minister Sudin Dhavlikar who is under controversy for his qualifications discrepancies and cheating the Govt by furnishing false affidavit during election. What will be the faith of Goa roads in future? Will any future Chief Minister be able to revive our roads and attend this misery for damaging roads in Goa? Parsekar must give the answer soon and tell us in the absence of Dhavlikar who is going to be a GOOD minister of PWD and Transport non corrupt if he has to face the law for his cheating on his educational qualification issue?*
*Stephen Dias* *D.Paula* *============================================* *Underground cabling across Goa the only solution to power problems, says Milind* Team Herald MARGAO: Power Minister Milind Naik stated that the only way Goa could get rid of its power problems was if the electricity department was allowed to lay 11 KV underground cabling across the State. He added that such a project would cost around Rs 20,000 crore, while the department’s budget was only Rs 300 crore. Naik was speaking to the press after inauguration two transformers in Navelim. Responding to a query about the hike in electricity charges, he clarified that neither the power ministry nor the electricity department were responsible. Instead, it was the decision of the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission. He pointed out that it was the first such hike in 12 years, and despite it, Goa was the only State with such low charges. He informed that, according to a report from Goa Electronics Limited, the monthly billing system had been started in 95 per cent of Goa. Regarding the safety of linesmen, Naik said that an order for safety kits for the linesman had already been placed. The equipment will arrive within a month. On the issue of streetlights, Naik said that in many areas the responsibility was not on the power department, but other government departments, including tourism. He further said that the department was reviewing the issue of handling complaints on the phone. He said his department had to face several difficulties and occasionally had to attend to four problems at the same time. Naik also called for greater coordination and flexibility with the forest department over trimming of trees. Regarding problems where underground cabling connections had already been set up, Naik said that the problem was obviously not with the underground cabling, but where the power was coming from. The power department is looking into the issue. Naik added that if one spends time with his engineers, they would better understand the difficulties faced by the department. Meanwhile, Navelim MLA Avertano Furtado said that he would soon be holding a review meeting with Naik regarding his constituency’s problems. He will also hold similar meetings with other government departments. While thanking Naik for his support, Furtado requested the power department to provide a sub- station for Navelim. He further said that Rs 84 crore had been sanctioned for underground cabling in Navelim and that the work order should be tendered within a month. • Underground cabling for ent i re State would cos t Rs 20,000 crore, but department’s budget only Rs 300 crore• Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission increased tariff• Monthly billing had started in 95 per cent of Goa• Safety gear for linesmen has been ordered and should be here within a month Power Minister, Milind Naik, Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado and Parish Priest inaugurating the power transformer centre at Navelim on Saturday. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- E.C.A. DIAS Retired as TO (E-1) Former Scientist A-1 and Leader of GOD/INSTRUMENTATION Group CSIR- National Institute of Oceanography Dona Paula-Goa 403004 Email: [email protected] Tel" 0832-2452915 ( Res) Mob: (0) 9422443110
