PANAJI
Personnel of the electricity department got a much-needed boost on Wednesday with the induction of cranes and sky-lift vehicles, which are expected to provide easy access to overhead transmission lines during repair work.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant flagged off the sky-lift vehicles and cranes at the Secretariat in Porvorim. Power Minister Sudin Dhawalikar, Mandrem MLA Jit Arolkar, and top officials were also present.
In total, the department is set to receive 50 such vehicles, with 32 being commissioned by Sawant on Wednesday. The remaining 18 are expected to arrive in the next couple of months.
According to Dhavalikar, each division of the Electricity Department will be allocated one crane truck, and each subdivision will be given a sky-lift, which will greatly improve both efficiency and the safety of the field staff.
Meanwhile, in a brief speech at the event, Sawant said that with an investment of nearly Rs 2,000 crore in power infrastructure over the last five years, the State will not need any more investment for at least two decades.
He said the government has prioritised laying underground cables to replace overhead transmission lines across the State, which is consuming the bulk of the investment.
Meanwhile, Sawant said he held a meeting to review the performance of various social security schemes with officials of the finance department and heads of the departments administering these schemes, where he issued instructions to clear all pending dues to beneficiaries before the Ganesh Chaturthi festival.
Sky-lifts hired, not bought
The sky-lift vehicles have been hired for the Electricity Department and not bought by the State government
It will cost the State approximately Rs 114-odd crore for five years
