Finally, Margao ring road gets street illumination

The entire ring road, from the Aquem Power House junction to the Margao fire station, virtually came alive on Tuesday evening after Power Minister Ramkrishna Sudin Dhavalikar inaugurated the illumination in the presence of Margao MLA Digambar Kamat.

The Power Minister said the government has taken over the Street light policy, with the Power department implementing the scheme. “Many issues had cropped up in the past, including payment of bills when the street lights were being installed by government departments such as PWD, Tourism, GSIDC, and autonomous bodies such as the panchayats, municipalities and the corporations. All the problems including the upkeep and maintenance of the street lights will now be looked after by the Power department,” he said.

Dhavalikar pointed out that the levy of a five paisa charge on street lighting will help the department mop up around Rs 40 crore, but hastened to add that the government is spending around Rs 200 crore annually on the maintenance of the street lights.

Referring to the letter received from a panchayat to cancel the proposal to levy charges to implement the street light scheme, Dhavalikar said some of the panchayats have defaulted in the payment of water as well as power bills to the government. “We will discuss the scheme in the ensuing session of the Assembly since the street lighting policy is being formulated for the public benefit”, he said.

In his address, Margao MLA Digambar Kamat thanked Chief Minister Pramod Sawant for sanctioning the ring road illumination project. “The Rs 5 crore tender includes illumination, footpath, and hot mixing of the ring road,” he said adding that the illumination project will go a long way in providing better facilities to the people of Margao.

He took the occasion to announce beautification of the Rawandond-Khareband road and the Aquem power house junction will be taken up in phase II of the beautification project.