The Legislative Assembly session on Tuesday witnessed a rare moment where every member of the House that stood up raised concerns over erratic electricity supply. The problems ranged from lack of underground cabling, manpower crunch, repetitive power supply cuts, supply disruption due to snapping of overhead cables and instances of areas going without power for hours and sometimes multiple days.
The chorus against electricity supply only points to the fact that there is a need to examine the issues holistically rather than addressing them piecemeal. Interestingly, it emerged that underground cable might not be the final solution to all power woes. It may be noted that areas like Margao, where underground cabling is completed and power is drawn from multiple sub-stations, still face severe power supply cuts, as explained in the House by the local MLA, Digambar Kamat.
While infrastructural challenges have existed for decades despite successive electricity ministers trying their hand with various initiatives, including the controversial bunch cable technology, the power scenario in the State is yet to see consistent light.
Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar must come out with a white paper on the power situation in the State and accordingly make a case for an overhaul. While the minister has proudly announced that each constituency has been granted a minimum of Rs 40 crore towards underground cabling works, and some legislators have acknowledged and thanked him for the grant, there has been very little relief regarding the consistency of power.
The power requirement of the State has grown exponentially over the years, and it will continue to grow with the economic rise and industrialisation. The State cannot address power issues exclusively of underground cabling or attempt to resolve problems as they surface. Keeping the future needs of the State, Dhavalikar must take a quantum leap and address this as a critical issue of Goa. Playing Santa and doling out goodies in the form of funds for underground cabling and providing area-specific substations is not a prudent way to resolve an issue with State implications.
Interestingly, a significant part of the calling attention motion on electricity saw a discussion on what was seen as a “multi-crore bunch cable scam”. The discussion revolved around the electricity department’s move in 2016 to replace a 1,000 km line with “bunch cables” at a whooping cost of Rs 145 crore. The aerial bunch cable was believed to be a substitute for the regular electricity supply cable, which turns brittle over time, making it more prone to snapping. On the flip side, the bunch cable makes fault detection a problematic task adding to the workload of an already skeletal workforce.
Surprisingly, seven years later, the issue rocked the Assembly, with members of the House demanding a thorough probe into the matter, with even the current power minister lending support by calling the decision on “bunch cabling” faulty and washing his hands of the project. Ironically, not even 25 per cent of the cable is currently used, exposing a colossal waste of public money.
The power department has to take stock of the situation and assess the power that is drawn and supplied, the manpower at hand and the actual requirement, besides doing a complete study of the infrastructure that needs an upgrade. The department must be grounded in the reality that it deals with a State issue, hence the need for better planning and execution of work.
