the goan I network
MARGAO
Power Minister Nilesh Cabral on Tuesday said the Power department has requested Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to make provision of around Rs 2000 crore in the ensuing budget to take up underground cabling in the state.
During an interaction with the media, the Power Minister said the department has chalked out a road map for the underground cabling of the 11Kv and 33 KV power lines in the state.
“The Power department will request the CM to make budgetary provision of Rs 2000 crore for various projects mooted by the department, including underground cabling,” he said.
On the arrears staring the Power department, the Power Minister expressed confidence that the department will recover 95 per cent of the arrears by the end of March.
“Revenue recovery cases have been going on before the Mamlatdars. Arrears amounting to Rs 315 crore has now come down to around Rs 76 crore,” he said, adding that he is the only Power Minister, who has brought out not one but two White Papers on the power department.
Asked to comment on Sawant’s statement that Goa will achieve cent per cent electrification by March end, Cabral said the media had misquoted the CM by saying that 4% houses remain.
“It is not 4%, but 0.04%. There are a few houses in the hilly and hinterland areas, which could not be supplied power for want of a grid. The government is now thinking of bringing these remaining households under electric supply via solar energy. We are working out the modalities, wherein these left out houses will be brought under solar energy,” he said, while exuding confidence that Goa will be cent per cent electrified by the end of March.
