PORVORIM: The Gaonkar family was waiting for electricity poles to reach their home, in remote Caurem-Pirla for eight years. With their temporary service wire gone, they were on one of their prolonged period of darkness for 45 days.
The O Heraldo first-page report in the July 19 edition changed all that. The report was raised in the Assembly by Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, during Zero Hour. He waved a copy of the paper pointing out the plight of the family.
He said, “Attention of the House is drawn to a family in Caurem-Pirla for being in darkness for the past 45 days. This is the headline in today’s O Heraldo (showing the newspaper in the House). There is a family in Caurem-Pirla, in Quepem Taluka, where 8 years have passed since they were told to pay Rs 30,000 to bring 15 poles to get a power supply. They paid the amount in January 2016.”
“Thereafter they were told to bring a tractor to carry the poles. You have given the Electricity Department Rs 3,999 crores for infrastructure. If you can give poles to a poor family……Speaker Sir, I’m not used to flashing newspapers, but this is the headline ‘Family in the dark for 45 days’. Speaker Sir please give this immediately. If it is Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, give it immediately.”
Responding to the news, Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar said, “The news is true and I will take strict action on Assistant Engineer and Junior Engineer, because this way of working in the department will not be tolerated. Saturday evening by 6 pm, they will get electricity.”
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant too intervened to assure, “By tomorrow they will get electricity. They should get it this evening itself. But by tomorrow they will surely get it. I will follow up.”
As soon as the assurance was given in the House by the Power Minister and the CM, electricity was restored to the Gaonkar family and two other houses within hours (see accompanying report). Power department officials and workers were on the ground digging holes to erect the poles on Friday itself.
O Heraldo, in its on-the-ground report, filed by reporter Gauresh Sattarkar, stated that in 2016, the Gaonkar family from Caurem-Pirla, in Quepem, had been asked to pay Rs 30,000 for 15 electricity poles to bring power to their house by the Electricity Department and still not a single pole had been erected for the last eight years.
Sardesai seeks ’sabka vikas‘
This is the headline in Friday’s O Heraldo. There is a family in Caurem-Pirla, …where 8 years have passed since they were told to pay Rs 30,000 to bring 15 poles to get power supply. They paid the amount in January 2016. You have given the Electricity department Rs 3,999 crores for infrastructure. If you can, give poles to a poor family……Speaker Sir, I’m not used to flashing newspapers, but this is the headline ‘Family in the dark for 45 days’. Speaker Sir please give this immediately. If it is Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, give it (power) immediately
By SATURDAY they will get electricity: CM
By tomorrow (Saturday)they will get electricity. Actually they should get it today (Friday) evening itself, but by tomorrow they will get it. I will follow up