SANGUEM: As the sunsets, Sanguem town and the area surrounding Ambedkar circle at Sanguem plunges into total darkness on account of nonfunctioning of high mast lamps at Sanguem.

The high mast lamps installed by Goa State Infrastructural Development Corporation four years ago have turned into a white elephant for the local municipality given its very high cost of maintenance and replacement of bulbs.

As on date bills of over Rs 2 lakh is reportedly pending of the electric repairer who had repaired the lamps over the past one year.

Sources in the know informed that in the first year of the installation the maintenance work was to be undertaken by the supplier of the high mast lamps. However, since last year the escalating cost in getting the high mast lamps repaired have put the council in a fix.

Ex-chairperson Queroz Cruz informed that besides the whopping bill of Rs 2.40 lakh presently pending of one contractor, there is another bill of about Rs 22000 of another contractor who had recently repaired the high mast lamps at Khairikanttem.

Cruz informed that for the repair of the high mast lamps near Bandodkar statue, minimum cost of over Rs 45,000 needs to be incurred as its connecting cable is reportedly damaged.

For repairing and lowering down the high mast lamps at the Sanguem bus stand, minimum costs of Rs 25,000 is required to get the lamps repaired.

A ruling councillor blamed the former council for installing the high mast lamps without considering the high cost of its repair in the event of breakdown.

The council is reportedly out of funds to get the high mast repaired as the present council is reportedly unaware of the huge pending bills towards the previous repair done by the council.

A ruling councillor informed that the council till date has not decided to go for the repair work as the contractor refuses to undertake the repair work for nonpayment of his earlier bills. But till the earlier bills stands unpaid, the Sanguem town which houses the municipal shops, the Sanguem bus stand, rickshaw and motorcycle pilot stand will continue to remain in darkness.