PORVORIM: Cutting across party lines, legislators on Thursday raised the issue of erratic power supply on the floor of the House, urging the government to complete underground cabling to solve the problem.
Mapusa MLA Joshua D’Souza pointed out to the frequent power fluctuations and outages in his constituency, stating the issue escalated after Cyclone Tauktae.
“There are frequent power failures which need to be solved at the earliest. I urge the government to complete underground cabling,” he said.
Poriem MLA Deviya Rane said snapping of power lines owing to winds across several villages has been a common phenomenon in her constituency. She too sought immediate underground cabling of the electricity cables in the forested villages of Poriem.
Representing the coastal constituency, Siolim MLA Delilah Lobo lamented that erratic electricity supply was affecting the image of Goa as a tourist destination. “What are we offering the tourists? They are suffering because of power failures. Hotels and other traders are running their establishments on generators,” she said, while also suggesting that the government tap solar energy and wind energy to generate power in Goa.Velim MLA Cruz Silva also echoed the problem during the discussion, stating that his constituency that includes an industrial estate and a coastal stretch endures power fluctuation issues.
Vasco MLA Krishna Daji Salkar, while congratulating the Electricity Department’s engineers and linemen for their incredible work during the cyclone, complained that they were not equipped with proper safety equipment. He urged the Power Minister to provide them with the necessary boiler suites, gloves, shoes and LED torches. St Cruz MLA Rudolf Fernandes spoke about the hazards of high tension lines crossing over fields and houses, urging the government to find a solution at the earliest.
