Team Herald
Legislators on Friday gave mixed reactions to the state of electricity in Goa. While many praised the department for the work, others pointed fingers at the time taken to complete the underground cabling and inflated bills.
Leader of the Opposition Pratapsingh Rane said, “Three and a half years have passed since the government took up the underground cabling, but it has still not been completed. There is also the failure in providing continuous electricity to the people.”
He questioned whether the department had the required expertise to handle fluctuating currents that have caused damage to electronics and machinery.
Tivim MLA Kiran Kandolkar, while praising the government on its move to increase the budget allocated, said it was mostly being spent in maintaining rather than building infrastructure.
“Electricity is an important aspect for everyone in Goa. It is good that the government has increased the budget for this department, but most of it is being spent in maintenance,” he said.
Several legislators also asked for a law or an order to be issued on the cutting of trees before the onset of the monsoons to prevent power shortage due to plants.
Calangute MLA Michael Lobo said there was a need to make people aware of what their rights were as consumers and asked for new substations to help ease the overload.
“There are people getting bills in the thousands when in the past they were getting a few hundred. There is a need to have some adjustment done to balance this discrepancy in the future. Maybe reduce their future bills,” said Lobo.
