CURCHOREM: All the marked trees will not be cut from the Mollem Wildlife Sanctuary while laying 400 KVA power line from Karnataka to Goa, which is required to meet power requirements of the State,” said Power Minister Nilesh Cabral, on Friday.
He was speaking after inaugurating the power transformer at Anandwadi-Sanvordem in the presence of local MLA and PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar, Sanvordem Sarpanch Sandeep Pauskar, Executive Engineer Vinayak Mashelkar, Assistant Engineer Emlesh Gaonkar and panch members among other officials.
He said that the power supply problems will not be solved only by installing the transformers. Since the State is not generating its own power, we have to bring power supply from other States, he added.
“The State’s power consumption is increasing four to five per cent every year. Therefore, we must be prepared to meet the requirements for the future,” said Cabral.
He assured not to cut all the marked trees while stating that few and the rest will be pruned.
Accepting the challenge of Goa Pradesh Congress Committee Vice President Sankalp Amonkar Sankalp Amonkar, Cabral said that he is ready to debate with him anywhere or on any TV channel.
“Our State cannot be a free State and naturally each one has to pay as per their power consumption. We have not increased the power tariff and the consumers are charged only for the power they have consumed,” said Cabral.
Appreciating the work of the Power Minister, Pauskar thanked him for fulfilling the long pending demand of the locals for a transformer, as they were facing several problems due to low voltage in the area.
“The work of underground cabling of 11 KV line in the area would be carried out soon after the monsoon and the existing fault in supply of uninterrupted power will be solved soon,” assured Pauskar, who is also the Sanvordem MLA.
He also requested that the underground cabling also in the jurisdiction of other panchayats in Sanvordem Constituency due to the thick forest in the area.
He also welcomed the initiative of the government to bring 400 KVA power line from Chhattisgarh to Goa via Karnataka as it is necessary to solve the power problems of at least next 20 years.
