Power Minister Sudin Dhavlikar speaking in the Assembly on Monday.
PANAJI
Power infrastructure related work including new sub-stations, installing transformers, converting both LT and HT transmission lines from overhead to underground among others worth Rs 2,863 crore are either ongoing or completed across the State, Power Minister Ramkrishna (Sudin) Dhavlikar told the Goa legislative assembly on Monday.
Dhavlikar, who was replying to the discussion on the demands for grants pertaining to the power department and the department for New and Renewable Energy, also claimed that these infrastructure works are equitably distributed across all regions of the State.
"I have made sure that a minimum of Rs 40 crore power infrastructure works are done or being carried out in each of the 40 constituencies without any discrimination," Dhavlikar said.
Listing some of the major projects, he said a Rs 370 crore worth sub-station at Saligao is ongoing and will be completed by December this year and will improve the voltage profile and reliability of power supply in Bardez taluka.
A similar sub-station at Verna is in the works and is expected to be completed by July 2025, which will immensely improve power supply to the industries at the industrial estate and also to the entire Mormugao taluka, he said.
Dhavlikar said, a 33/11 KV sub-station in Mandrem, worth Rs 55 crore is in final stages of completion which will support and improve the power distribution in both Pernem and Mandrem constituency.
Similarly, the minister listed work of upgrading and building sub-stations across all divisions of the Electricity department. Several of the works he has listed also included converting from overhead to underground some of the major transmission lines both low tension (LT) as well as High Tension (HT) lines.
Solar power, EV
subsidy scheme (subhead)
Dhavlikar told the House that the State has an installed solar power producing capacity of 46.2 mega watts and a total subsidy of 7.06 crore has been disbursed till date for the setting up of these solar power units across all sections -- domestic, institutions and commercial establishments.
He also said, that the department is in the process of integrating the State's subsidy scheme for solar power and the process to apply and get sanction for it with the online process for the Central government's scheme.
The two subsidies (State as well as Centre) will be complimentary, he added.
Dhavlikar also said, that the Power Department has entered into an MoU with the Central government's agency SVJL which will study the feasibility of setting up solar and hydro-power units in the State.
He also said that the Department has already placed orders for equipment to set up solar units of up to 100 MW, which will be utilized to implement the decision to set them up on all government buildings wherever feasible.
On the subsidy for electric vehicles, Dhavlikar said a new 2023 scheme is being re-introduced with a Rs 25,000 cap for two-wheelers.
As for three-wheelers, the subsidy will be limited to Rs 60,000 and for four-wheelers (cars) it will be up to Rs one lakh.
In Goa, the previous scheme had subsidised 1,679 electric vehicles at a cost to the State of Rs 8.21 crore, he added.
Dhavlikar also said the decision to reduce the subsidy for cars from Rs 3-lakh in the previous, discontinued scheme to Rs one-lakh in the new scheme was a conscious one as questions were being raised as to why such high subsidy was being given to people buying cars worth Rs 16 lakhs.
The minister was responding to the point made by Fatorda MLA, Vijai Sardesai, that instead of encouraging a shift to clean energy and electric vehicles the new scheme will discourage vehicle buyers to opt for EVs.
Sardesai had criticised the decision to reduce the subsidy for EVs pointing out that the Centre was promoting the shift to EVs but the State government was seemingly discouraging it.
