QUEPEM: The Gaonkar family of Quepem managed to watch a recording of the discussion in the Assembly about their plight of being in the dark for 45 days.
But little did they realise that “light” would be on its way in a matter of hours.
Immediately after the Power Minister and Chief Minister’s commitment to the House that the home of Raghoba Gaonkar would get power by the evening of Friday or latest by Saturday, the local power department officials, who made Raghoba run around as he begged for light, swung into action.
Additionally, the department began erecting temporary electricity poles. Residents of Caurem-Pirla expressed their gratitude to O Heraldo for highlighting their plight.
Sanjeev Mhalsekar, Assistant Electrical Engineer of the Quepem Power Substation, contacted O Heraldo journalist Gauresh Sattarkar. Subsequently, staff from the Quepem Electricity department and the O Heraldo team made their way to Raghoba Gaonkar’s house in Caurem-Pirla. After navigating through the forest for an hour and a half, the team reached Gaonkar's house at 4 pm.
Within 45 minutes, the household was illuminated, and the Gaonkar family expressed their heartfelt thanks to O Heraldo for taking up their cause.
Assistant Engineer Mhalsekar stated that an alternative arrangement would be made by erecting iron pipe poles to ensure the stability of the power line connected to Gaonkar’s house.
“First of all, we are indebted to O Heraldo. We are very grateful to them for taking up our issue and forcing the government to take notice of our plight. We also extend our thanks to MLA Vijai Sardesai for raising our issue in the Assembly, and to Power Minister Ramkrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar, who immediately sent a team from the electricity department to our house and restored our electricity. This was all made possible because of O Heraldo."
TIMELINE:
12:35 PM: Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar acknowledged the report and assured that electricity would be restored to the affected families within 24 hours
12:40 PM: Sanjeev Mhalsekar, Assistant Electrical Engineer of the Quepem Power Department, contacted O Heraldo journalist Gauresh Sattarkar, who had reported the news
02:30 PM: Staff from the Quepem Electricity Department, along with a team from O Heraldo, arrived in Kajur village
02:35 PM: The team began climbing the Kajur-Gawliwada Hill in the forest to reach the affected families in the Caurem-Pirla area
04:00 PM: After trekking six kilometers over the hill, the team reached the house of Raghoba Gaonkar
04:30 PM: The electricity department staff removed a tree that had fallen on the temporary power line leading to Raghoba Gaonkar's house
04:45 PM: The lights in Gaonkar’s house came on after 45 days
04:46 PM: Gaonkar family expressed his its gratitude to Team Herald