PANAJI
Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai dedicated a good part of his address to the Goa Legislative Assembly on Friday to the government's developmental plans and dealt with the idea of making Goa a “Smart Utility State' in the near future, although he did not put a definitive timeline to it.
“Our State has stood as a role model for drinking water supply," Pillai said and claimed that the ultimate goal is to ensure 24x7 water for all with augmentation of Goa's water treatment plants and several other initiatives.
Another new initiative of the government Pillai highlighted in his address was the notification to implement an MLA local area development scheme which will have Rs 100 crore sanctioned this year with a Rs 2.5crore annual ceiling per constituency.
This he said is to ensure all works are completed in the same financial year with a committee in place to accord quick sanctions.
He listed infra projects worth Rs 173-odd crore executed through GSIDC and completed in November last year and another 13 projects worth Rs 601.00 which are in various stages of completion in the current fiscal.
24x7 POWER: The governor also articulated the power infrastructure upgradation plans, some of which are already underway, to ensure 24x7 uninterrupted power supply in Goa.
"My government has devised 10 packages under revamped distribution sector scheme to include various projects aimed at improving the power supply, quality and reliability", he said.
Replacing old distribution transformers, providing new distribution transformer centres, replacing old 33kV overhead conductors, 11KV and LT underground cabling works, RMUs for 11KV cabling work were some of the details he articulated.
Work orders have already been issued for 10 of these infrastructure works collectively to cost Rs 300 crore, he added.
Smart meters will also be installed and the tender to procure and install 7.5 lakh smart meters is floated. The work order is likely to be issued within two months, he said.
