the goan I network
MAPUSA
Assuring to replace all malfunctioning LED streetlights before Ganesh Chaturthi, Power Minister Nilesh Cabral on Tuesday informed the Goa Legislative Assembly that the government was soon planning to come out with a streetlight policy.
“I have written to all panchayats and civic bodies about the plan to form a new streetlight policy in January this year. According to the plan, maintenance of streetlights will be reverted back to the department,” said Cabral.
Raising the issue of faulty LED streetlights during the Zero Hour, Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao said he has been receiving several complaints of malfunctioning people in his constituency.
He further said the people manning the call centre to receive complaints were also uncooperative.
The power minister said that LEDs were used to reduce the cost to the electricity department to almost half.
He said the LED light scheme was run by Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL), a government of India initiative.
Cabral said as per the contract, EESL was supposed to maintain the streetlights for next 10 years.
He said the EESL service has apparently failed to live up to public expectations and therefore, he had decided that the department would look after the maintenance.
“We had to find a practical solution to the problem and therefore I had written letters to all panchayats and civic bodies on January 17, 2019. But the panchayats have not responded. The MLAs should decide on the issue,” he said.
Intervening in the discussion, Speaker Rajesh Patnekar said the issue was of grave importance and even he faced problems in his constituency.
“I have been questioned by people in my constituency. The minister should take serious steps to correct the problem,” Patnekar said.
Congress MLA Pratapsing Rane and MGP MLA Sudin Dhavalikar also spoke.
