Goa witnessed one such decision and the resultant immediate relief to three families as they received power supply to their home within hours. On Friday, July 19, O Heraldo highlighted the plight of three families in Caurem-Pirla village in Quepem taluka which had been enveloped in darkness for more than a month and were forced to burn firewood for lighting their homes. Thanks to the apathy of the Electricity department, which made them run from pillar to post to get power connection even after paying Rs 30,000 for it eight years ago. They had been surviving the constant power outages for the supply received through a temporary connection for more than eight years.
However, when the issue was raised by Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai during the ongoing session of the Assembly on Friday, Power Minister Ramkrishna 'Sudin' Dhavalikar backed by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant assured to provide the electricity connections to the three families within 24 hours. The speed of the decision and the execution that followed ensured that the families received power supply within 4 hours, for which they had been waiting for 45 days. The Department has assured to erect poles and provide permanent supply no sooner the incessant rains stop lashing the State, a request that the local Electricity Department office had been neglecting since January 2016.
In March last year, an elderly couple in Velsao had luck on their side as they received power connection and electrical fittings to light up their house, after the media highlighted their plight. Satu Satarkar and his wife lived in darkness for decades despite getting an NOC from the department for the connection. The reason, they could not afford the cost of the connection and fittings. When the issue was highlighted, Cortalim MLA Antonio Vas ensured the couple had the connection as well as the fittings to light up their home.
There are numerous such cases where in the public representatives, especially the MLA or the Minister, rise up to the occasion only when the issue is highlighted. Though a thinking mind would ask the fundamental question, whether the public representatives such as the ward panchas, ward councillors and MLAs who hit the campaign trail every election forget to address people's issues once elected or people's problems are not their problem once they have achieved electoral victory.
The Goa government has claimed to have spent Rs 3,600 crore in infrastructure development of the Electricity Department, which includes the huge task of underground cabling being witnessed in every nook and corner of the State, even in the remotest areas of a village. Yet there are still cases such as the Gaonkar family in Caurem-Pirla, where power connections and access to electricity is still a distant dream.
India is known to have some of the best schemes launched in public interest, but the execution is the real problem. PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana is one such central government scheme that aims to provide free electricity to households in India. The scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 15, this year. Under the scheme, households will be provided with a subsidy to install solar panels on their roofs. The subsidy will cover up to 40% of the cost of the solar panels. However, the benefits of such a scheme may not reach Goan families.
Another central scheme, Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana - Saubhagya, launched in 2017, aimed at providing energy access to all by last mile connectivity and electricity connections to all remaining un-electrified households in rural as well as urban areas to achieve universal household electrification in the country. Under the scheme, the electricity connection to households includes release of electricity connections by drawing a service cable from the nearest pole to the household premise, installation of energy meter, wiring for a single light point with LED bulb and a mobile charging point. In case the electricity pole is not available near the house for drawing service cable, the erection of an additional pole along with conductor and associated accessories shall also be covered under the scheme.
Despite the availability of several schemes, the government departments and agencies fail to provide access to a basic necessity such as electricity to the people, the tax payers. India is a welfare State and therefore providing basic necessities is the fundamental responsibility of the government and the administration, which is the pillar of good governance.
In the words of PM Narendra Modi, "Mere good governance is not enough; it has to be pro-people and pro-active. Good governance is putting people at the center of development process."