Chief Electrical Engineer Stephen Fernandes participating in a joint meeting organised at the Mapusa Municipal Council office. Deputy Speaker Joshua D'Souza, Mayor Dr. Nutan Bicholkar, Executive Engineer Subhash Parsekar and others. Photo: Umesh Zarmaker
THE GOAN NETWORK
MAPUSA
Officials of the electricity department and PWD have assured the Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) that damaged high-mast and streetlights as well as potholes will be repaired before Ganesh Chaturthi.
A meeting chaired by Deputy Speaker and Mapusa MLA Joshua D’Souza was convened on Monday afternoon, which was attended by MMC Chairperson Dr Nutan Bicholkar, Vice-Chairperson Sushant Harmalkar, councillors, Chief Officer Chandrakant Shetkar, Chief Electrical Engineer Stephen Fernandes, Executive Engineer Subhash Parsekar, Assistant Engineer Savio D'Souza, PWD Assistant Engineer Mahesh Shetty, Traffic Police Inspector Marlon D'Souza and other officials.
The councillors raised issued about defective street lights, broken and old electricity poles lying by the roadside, pending work of the underground channel, etc.
It was pointed out that the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) and the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) has installed around 165 four-arm and three-arm lights in the city. These lights are yet to be transferred to the power department.
Stephen Fernandes assured that after following up with the GSUDA and GTDC, the lights will be transferred to the electricity department and repaired before Ganesh Chaturthi.
The electricity department engineers stated that removal of old electricity poles at Ganganagar-Khorlim has been hampered by dense population.
When assistant engineer informed Fernandes about the existence of these poles near two houses, Fernandes directed them to re-examine the matter and try to put an underground power line in the area.
The councillors also pointed out that potholes had developed on almost all roads in the city due to digging of underground power lines and they are often confronted by angry residents.
The councillors demanded these roads be repaired immediately as the rains have stopped at present.
Deputy Speaker Joshua D'Souza assured that the road-patching work including pothole filling has been undertaken since Sunday night and this work will be completed in a few days.
Among those councillors present at the meeting included Shubhangi Vaingankar, Priya Mishal, Sainath Raul, Viraj Phadke, Adv. Tarak Arolkar and Vikas Arolkar.
