PORVORIM: Demands for underground cabling to ensure uninterrupted power supply were raised by several legislators during the discussion on demands in the Assembly.
Cortalim MLA Alina Saldanha pointed out how several areas of her constituency suffered power outages for nearly a week after the recent cyclone despite relentless efforts by the personnel of the electricity department to restore power supply. She said that as several areas of her constituency had dense tree cover, snapping of overhead power lines owing to tree branches falling on them, leads to frequent power outages. She urged the government to accept her proposal for underground power cabling in her constituency.
Ponda MLA Ravi Naik, while supporting Saldanha’s views, expressed his displeasure over successive power ministers undertaking power cabling in their respective home constituencies while ignoring taking up the project in other constituencies. He demanded that underground power cabling be taken up in his constituency on priority.
Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai said that with large number of vacancies at a higher level and several officers holding additional charges, the electricity department was heading to an “administrative collapse.” He said that with no training for electricity personnel often leads to deaths and accidents.
