the goan I network
PANAJI/MAPUSA
The Electricity department has planned a major power shutdown on Sunday to enable it execute emergency repair work on the damaged 110 KV main bus at the Tivim sub-station.
The entire Bardez and Pernem talukas will be without power supply between 10 am and 1 pm due to shutdown according to the Executive Engineer of Division IX (Tivim).
The department has notified that some parts of Tiswadi and Bicholim talukas will also be affected by the power shutdown.
A senior official in the power department informed that bus bay (wire) at the Tivim sub-station was damaged.
“If we don’t replace it now, there is possibility of a breakdown in supply. That is why we had to go for an emergency shutdown,” said C H Rajgopalan, PRO, electricity department.
The Electricity Department has come under severe criticism for a deteriorating power situation and frequent power cuts.
In May this year, days before Power Minister Pandurang Madkaikar suffered a brain stroke, the power department had scheduled a similar power shutdown purportedly to facilitate repair and maintenance work at the sub-station on the Kadamba plateau. The shutdown, however, got extended from the scheduled 12-hours to almost 24-hours reportedly because the department took up work related to shifting of transformers to benefit a private real estate firm.
Opposition Congress also launched a severe attack on the government for its inefficiency on the power supply front. In its legislature party meeting held on Friday, warned the electricity department to pull up its socks and ensure an improvement in the power supply situation especially with the Ganesh Chathurti celebrations fast approaching.
Opposition Leader Chandrakant Kavlekar warned that the party will have no alternative but to take to the streets and gherao the department heads and officials if the situation does not improve.
