The Goan Network
PANAJI
Minister of Power, Non-Conventional Energy, Law and Judiciary, Nilesh Cabral has said that the Electricity Department will manage all the streetlights of Goa. Cabral was speaking on the occasion of the 17th annual general meeting (AGM) of Verna Industries Association.
Cabral said, “Several departments like Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC), National Highways, Rural Department and Tourism Department are involved in putting up streetlights in the state. When the streetlights don’t function, they say electricity department doesn’t work.”
He continued, “We are coming out with a streetlights policy. The entire Electricity Department will manage all the streetlights of Goa, no matter which department installed them.”
Cabral said that he will come out with a streetlight policy for the entire state after due consideration for the billing part as well.
He said, “When it comes to paying, people will say don’t increase it. But, we want real solutions to the problem. If there is a component for maintenance of electricity in the lease rents for industries in industrial estates, it should be removed because I will have to introduce in the electricity bill a component for streetlights.”
While finding a solution for the faulty streetlights in the state, Cabral emphasized that Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (JERC) guidelines will have to be considered.
He continued, “I am introducing electrical street light component in the power bill, which will be few paisas per unit for whoever consumes it. But responsibility will be 100%.”
Speaking to the gathering, Damodar Kochkar, president, Verna Industries Association, highlighted the problems faced by people working in industrial estates due to faulty streetlights.
Kochkar said, “Streetlights are giving problems in all the industrial estates. A lot of employees, men as well as women are forced to walk in the darkness due to non-functioning streetlights. Due to this, several incidents of snake bites have been reported.”
