MARGAO: Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar along with the department’s engineers held a review meeting and inspections of the infrastructure requirements of five constituencies of Salcete, namely Navelim, Margao, Fatorda, Curtorim and Nuvem.
After the inspections, the shortages in terms of infrastructure were identified in each of these constituencies and based on this assessment; a road map was chalked out as to how to deliver the solutions in these areas.
There were also discussions about the grievances of labour and contract staff of the department such as their demands to revive the insurance policy, get pending claims settled and regularise temporary workers who have been working in the department for years.
With the exception of Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai who was represented by Dilip Prabhudesai as he was out of station, the other four MLAs interacted with the minister and his officials at Ravindra Bhavan, Margao.
A common demand was to expedite pending proposals to carry out underground cabling in these constituencies and Sudin said he is expecting support from the Central Power Minister and that they are also exploring the option of getting a loan from JICA for the same.
The department also identified all the electric poles, conductors, fixtures, streetlights etc that are in a dilapidated condition and need to be replaced and tentative estimates were also arrived at, which will be shown to the chief minister to get the clearance from the Finance Department.
Sudin admitted that there is a shortage for poles and they are trying to resolve the procurement of the same to meet the requirements. Sudin was also informed that the Power Department staff in Salcete lack facilities to carry out these repairs such as a crane, skylift and the difficulties they face in clearing wild growth and trees around poles etc. The minister added that the department is trying to find new places in both districts where fixtures can be repaired and then dispatched to their respective sites.
There were also constituency specific demands like a substation for Curtorim and Fatorda for which a place near Sonsoddo was suggested by Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco. In Navelim, the MLA Ulhas Tuenkar spoke about the need to bring all the five panchayats under one division while in Margao, MLA Digambar Kamat conveyed the demand of freedom fighters for shifting of the transformer at Lohia Maidan. In Nuvem, the minister agreed to MLA Aleixo Sequeira’s request for an inquiry into an underground cabling issue in the constituency.
After deliberations with the engineers, it was agreed that the department would need some time for coordination but an assurance was given that the works would be executed as soon as possible.