PANAJI
Power Minister Nilesh Cabral on Thursday said he will welcome the controversial IIT campus project in his Curchorem constituency even as he added that no decision has yet been taken by the government to move it out of Sattari.
Cabral said, he had identified nine-lakh square meters of land in his constituency, adding that people in Curchorem will "welcome IIT".
He, however, asserted that no final decision has been made on moving the IIT campus project out of the current site at Shel-Melauli where violent protests erupted recently opposing it.
On Tuesday, Health Minister and Valpoi MLA had written to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant urging him to immediately scrap the proposed IIT project in Sattari and withdraw all cases that were filed against the protesters.
Lukewarm response
to power bills OTS
The One Time Settlement (OTS) scheme allowing concessions to power bill payment defaulters has had very few takers among the 1.4 lakh defaulters.
Expressing concern, Power Minister Nilesh Cabral, said the department will resort to punitive action including procedures for disconnection of power supply.
Waivers in delayed payment charges and giving flexible payments through installments are offered under the OTS scheme which was launched on December 1 last year.
Although initially proposed for one month, the government extended it for another month and is now slated to close on January 31.
“Of the seven lakh consumers nearly 1.4 lakh are defaulting on bill payments," Cabral said, adding that those who do not avail of the scheme will face disconnection of their power supply.
