CANACONA
The process to install six power transformers began eight months ago in a bid to resolve the low voltage problems in Agonda village, but the electricity department is yet to install five of the six transformers.“Due to insufficient transformers and low voltage problems, residents in Agonda continue to suffer and to make matters worse, the electricity department has failed to install five of the six transformers,” complained Agonda Sarpanch Badal Naikgaunkar.
Claiming that despite odds, the Agonda panchayat and then Canacona MLA Isidore Fernandes had facilitated the availability of land to accommodate the transformers in various parts of the village.
“The electricity department should have a policy to pay for the land it needs to erect a transformer and to stop depending on free gift of private property to set up transformers.”
“With great difficulty, the then MLA and Agonda panchayat had made the required land available for five of the six proposed transformers in Agonda, since locals refused to part with land to set up the transformer.”
“At all these five locations, the structures have been erected but the transformers have not been installed,” said Naikgaunkar.
According to sources, the erection of poles and fixing of empty boxes and other related equipment began in October last year and were completed by January this year, but electricity department is yet to mount the required transformers at five of the available locations till date.
“Agonda suffers badly due to frequent and prolonged power outages and we fail to understand why the electricity department is yet to commission the transformers, even though our new MLA and Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar has been stating that urgent electricity, road and water supply works will be completed before the monsoon,” remarked the sarpanch.
Pre-monsoon work in Agonda to begin today
CANACONA: Agonda Sarpanch Badal Naikgaunkar has said the delayed pre-monsoon works to clean roadside gutters and nullahs to avoid waterlogged roads and cutting of bushes will begin from Saturday.
“These works could not be started earlier due to non-availability of labour, but as the rains have come much before the onset of monsoon, we have made alternate arrangements and these works will be on war-footing from Saturday,” said Naikgaunkar.
