Power supply is a government service but in Goa which hopes to attract large manufacturing enterprises, companies are reeling under power shortages and load shedding which lasts upto four hours. Now existing industrial units and pharmaceutical companies have stepped in to help the state tide over the ongoing crisis. The government will purchase an additional 120 megawatts of power from the open market for supply and on its part, the industry has agreed to pay the additional amount over and above the Rs 6 per kilowatt-hour that Goa spends on power purchase. This arrangement shall continue till June 30. This unprecedented move is a desperate attempt to ensure that units in Goa are not forced to shut down. Currently, the state faces an acute power deficit of 100 MW compelling the power department to go in for daily load shedding with industries bearing the brunt of it. This episode will also send a message to likely investors in Goa that the private sector can no longer depend on the government for power, which is not a good thing. Meanwhile, the government should also address issues of power theft and transmission and distribution losses which stand at 25 per cent. Getting a grip on this would ensure that Goa doesn’t need to buy additional power; this will go a long way in alleviating the precarious situation.
