the goan I network
MARGAO
The power department has tendered underground cabling work amounting to Rs 10-odd crore in the Cuncolim Industrial Estate, but the question that is asked by Cuncolkars is when will the government take up the long-pending project of renovation and improvement of the existing LT distribution network in the Municipal town, which has witnessed massive power outages in recent times.
While power officials led by Executive Engineer Santosh Lolienkar were on the field on Monday busy rectifying the major HT line fault in the Masconi area of the town, questions are indeed being raised whether the power department has dumped the ambitious plan to take up renovation and improvement of the LT distribution network at a whopping cost of
Rs 3.47 crore.
It has been three years now since the tender was first floated by the power department in the year 2014, but the project relating to the replacement of conductors, upgradation and additional transformers is yet to see light of the day.
While power department officials in the know say the government has floated a tender to execute work on underground cabling at the Cuncolim Industrial Estate at a cost of Rs 10-odd crore, the fate of the Rs 3.47 crore tender floated in the year 2014 remains unknown.
When The Goan contacted Executive Engineer Santosh Lolienkar to shed light on the power department's tender floated in 2014 to renovate and the LT distribution network, he said the matter is under the consideration of the department higher-ups. "I have been given to understand that there was a lone bid for the tender and hence the matter was referred to the Works Advisory Committee for a decision," he said. Lolienkar, however, could not throw more light on the ambitious tender and whether the present government has any plan to execute the project in the near future.
Replacement of the ageing power conductors, upgradation and addition of power transformers, besides conversion of the single phase to three phase power lines was envisaged at a cost of Rs 3.47 crore which has not seen light of the day till date.
In the meantime, Executive Engineer Santosh Lolienkar and his team descended at Cuncolim on Monday to find out the line fault that had triggered massive power outages and fluctuations in the municipal town since the last few days forcing power consumers to hold a dharna on Sunday. Lolienkar told The Goan that the department staff was finally able to trace the fault at Masconi, which was primarily responsible for the outages in the town. "The carrying capacity of the HT trunk line was adversely affected as the conductor was coming in contact with tree leaves. We have rectified the line fault today," Lolienkar said, while exuding confidence that that the situation will soon return to normal.
Citizens of Cuncolim had on Sunday demanded that Power Minister Pandurang Madkaikar visit the town and hear the people and also unveil the plans of the power department to tone up the power infrastructure.
