BICHOLIM: Power Minister Pandurang Madkaikar on Monday visited the electricity department and took the electricity officials to the task for not handling power issues in a proper manner in Bicholim.
It may be recalled that the Bicholim locals had apprised the Bicholim MLA Rajesh Patnekar about the deteriorating situation of power supply in Bicholim. Patnekar in turn had intimated the power minister about the issue. Subsequently, due to public demand the minister visited the office on Monday accompanied by around 30 to 40 locals, including members of Bicholim Industrial Development Corporation.
Locals had earlier narrated problems faced by them due to erratic power supply and had impressed upon the minister to immediately solve the frequent power cuts in the region.
The Chairman of Bicholim IDC Shivshankar Zirge brought to the minister’s notice that when the power cut occurred it took around two to three hours to be restored, due to which business in industrial units would come to a standstill.
After listening to public grievances the power minister asked the officials present the reason for such irregularities, but not one official was in a position to give a satisfactory reply. This led to the minister issuing a strict warning to the officials and sternly instructed them to handle their duty diligently.
Pandurang also informed about a novel technique that would be launched soon, called “aerial bunch cabling system” through which power cables would be tied in a one single cable, which would be covered with safe plastic coating.
“This will help restore power-supply even after tree-falling incidents and is a better method than the underground cabling,” he said.
When people brought to his notice about the improper services provided by some banks while accepting electricity bills, he replied that the problem had arisen as the department had not paid the commission to the banks. However, the issue was sorted out when BMC chairman Satish Gaonkar gave assurances of opening a counter at BMC office and also insisted that Bicholim electricity department authorities should open another counter at Bicholim electricity office to accept electricity bills.
Pandurang also informed that government had decided to set up a new power substation at Sal, Bicholim, in order to solve the power problem in remote areas, adding that the tender-process was in progress.
Also present on the occasion were Chief Engineer N N Reddy, Executive Engineer Sebastiano Fernandes, Bicholim MLA, BMC chairman, councillors and members of Bicholim IDC.
