Team Herald
PANJIM: With a projected marginal increase in total power consumption for Goa fixed at 3367 MUs in 2018-19, the State Electricity Department (ED) has proposed Rs 3626 crore expenditure on infrastructure creation over the next three years. The State power allocation will get a boost with an additional 130 MW by December 2018, to the existing supply of 512 MW power purchase.
In the Business Plan for the year 2016-17 to 2018-19 submitted to the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC), the ED has expected a consumer rise from 5.86 lakh to 6.20 lakh by March 2019. The current energy consumption is approximately 3215 MUs.
JERC chairman SK Chaturvedi on Wednesday chaired a public hearing for approval of Business Plan for the next three years, wherein it received several suggestions for improvement of the power sector along with raising major grievances on poor infrastructure and frequent power cuts.
As per ED, the present unrestricted demand for the State is about 525-552 MW which is being met by power from various Central sector power stations and co-generating stations within the State and short term power procurement from the market. The Centre’s power allocation share is 512 MW.
“Apart from this Central government has made arrangements for additional power allocation and the State has also signed power purchase agreements with some power suppliers, which together will supply additional 130MW,” the plan says, adding Goa is also planning to call for tenders under competitive bidding in order to increase the power availability in the State as per the increasing demand.
Raising strong objections to the business plan, GOACAN convener Roland Martins demanded that the plan be rejected and sent back to be redrafted. He pointed out that the department has not specified on capital expenditure and that the plan does not speak about any proposal for the Tourism industry. “The energy consumption projections are made keeping in mind only the regular consumers… tourism is not been considered,” he said.
He pointed to the department’s failure to make public the audited financial statement, thereby keeping the people in the dark over the profit and losses it faces. Martins said that while the department has failed to transfer itself from department to corporation, its consumer redressal cell is non functional.
A representative from the Tourism department informed the Commission that it demanded power supply stability for development of tourism.
Industrial players representing GCCI, Verna industrial estate, Tivim industrial estate also made suggestions along with several village representatives. While Congress slammed the Electricity department for its poor performance, the BJP came to its rescue stating that power supply in Goa is the best compared to the neighbouring States.
