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THE GOAN NETWORK
MARGAO
Power Minister Nilesh Cabral has mooted a public light fund to foot the street and public illumination bill, while further announcing that the government will come out with a policy wherein the Goa Electricity department will take over the installation and illumination of street lights by doing away with the existing practice of several agencies getting involved in illumination at public places.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the Guirdolim gram sabha on Sunday, the Power Minister said he would soon write to each of the 191 individual panchayats seeking their say on the department’s proposal to create a pubic light fund, whereby the public and street illumination will be funded by the electricity department.
“If the proposal finds acceptance with the panchayats, the consumers will find another column in the monthly power bill wherein the consumers will have to foot additional minimum charges of Rs 5-10 depending on the use of street lighting in a particular area. With this proposal, the panchayats will not be able to charge light tax on the people and the power department will take over the entire issue of street light installation, illumination and maintenance,” he said, adding “let the panchayats tell the department whether the proposal is acceptable to them or not.”
The Power Minister further said the government will soon come out with a policy wherein the power department takes over the entire function of installation of street lighting and illumination.
“Presently, there are around 7-8 agencies, which are involved in installing street lighting and public illumination, including the PWD, GSUDA, GSIDC and other departments. The existing practice had allowed them to install the lights with an NOC from the department but the maintenance was being carried out by the department,” he said.
To do away with the multiple agencies in installing street and public lighting, Cabral said that the power department will take over all the street lights and public illumination installed by these agencies over the years, but made it clear that the Power department will not issue any NOCs in the future to these agencies to install the lights.
“I already had one round of meetings with high-ranking officials. The second meeting will take place on Monday, wherein we will be able to give final touches to this policy,” he added.
Earlier, Cabral assured the people that if the coalition government survives for the next three and half years, he will be able to provide round the clock power supply to the people of Goa.
“A number of initiatives have been taken by the government after I took over the reigns of the Power department. These measures will give relief to the people of Goa in the coming years,” he said.
When asked about the row over the Cuncolim power project sanctioned by the government, the Power Minister said the project was taken up by him after taking into account the hardships faced by the people, the petitions made by the Cuncolim MLA Clafacio Dias and also by TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai.
“Neither Yuri Alemao nor Joaquim Alemao had asked me to take up the Cuncolim Power project. I do not even have their numbers,” he said.
