PANAJI
The Union Ministry for New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) will spend Rs 541 crore to develop Goa’s capital city Panaji as ‘Solar city’.
As per the information released by the Goa Energy Development Agency (GEDA), the total investment estimated under the Master Plan for Solar City in Panaji is Rs 541.33 crores, of which Rs 290.32 crores would be spent for implementation of renewable energy strategies and Rs 251.01 crores for energy efficiency strategies.
At present, Panaji’s daily electricity demand is 128 MW.
Under Panaji’s Solar City Master Plan, the Ministry plans to reduce conventional energy demand by 10 per cent through energy-efficiency measures. Also the electricity generated by solar energy will be used for commercial and domestic energy use.
The city has been identified under various zones to take up solar rooftop projects on government, educational and commercial buildings.
Meanwhile, Power Minister Ramkrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar has come up with a bombastic claim: uninterrupted power supply for the whole of Goa before the monsoon.
Dhavalikar made the pitch to media persons in his Marcaim constituency where he laid the foundation stone for a project to shift an over four-decades old 33KV line transmitting power from the Verna sub-station to Bandora and beyond.
"The government intends to provide uninterrupted power supply in the State by upgrading and completing all related works before the monsoon," Dhavalikar said.
The 40-year-old 33 KV high-tension power line passed over the Bandodkar ground in Bandora and people there were constantly under fear and raised their concerns at the gram sabha, passing a resolution.
The Government took cognisance of it and in the interest of public decided to shift the power line, the minister said.
The project is worth Rs 3 crore and the work of shifting the power line will be completed before the monsoon, according to Asst Engg. Shilpa Bhakale.
