MAPUSA
Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar on Tuesday told the Goa Legislative Assembly that the Aerial Bunch Cabling project undertaken by the power department was a total failure in the State.
Dhavalikar also informed that work on underground cabling of 11KV high tension power lines has been taken up in every constituency which will help in reducing power outages.
“I agree that the bunched cabling project is a total failure. The conductors on power lines were not changed for the last several years. We have now started work of changing the old conductors across Goa which will help to keep check on power outages in the State,” Dhavailkar said.
The Power Minister was responding to a query raised by Quepem MLA Altone D’Costa during the Question Hour.
Dhavlikar informed that in order to minimise power interruptions, works such as periodic maintenance of power transformers, switch gear including 11KV and 33KV breakers is carried out.
“Preventive maintenance such as tree cutting, removal of creepers on the poles, strengthening of lines, replacement of weak conductors, insulators etc is also carried out regularly,” he said.
The Quepem MLA said that people in his constituency suffered due to constant power cuts. He further said that this problem was not restricted only to villages but even in municipal areas.
“Our electricity lines run through dense forest and power snaps due to tree fall and other issues. The government had assured to carry out underground cabling last year but is yet to get the work started,” D’Costa said.
Dhavlikar informed that work to improve power infrastructure has been taken up in Quepem at an estimated cost of Rs 150 crore.
He said that work on underground cabling has been initiated at an estimated cost of around Rs 1,200 crore in the State.
“The department will soon take up a major work of Rs 200 crore power project at Saligao,” he said.
He said the government will also take up underground cabling work in Canacona which comes under forest besides in the agriculture and coastal areas of the taluka.
He further informed that the process to commence work on the Verna sub-station is almost complete and the file has gone to the finance department for expenditure sanction.
“The estimated cost of the project is Rs 350 crore. We expect the approval to come within the next 15 days. With this the power supply to Verna and South Goa should improve,” he said.
