from Sanjay Borkar
for Daijiworld Media Network - Margao (GA)

Margao, Apr 18: On the suggestion of Power Grid Corporation, state electricity department has sought assistance of Bangalore-based agency to thoroughly check the power failure problems, which has hampered the state for the last 10 days.

Dabolim airport is facing the major problem of non-functioning of AC, after the AC unit burnt owing low voltage on Wednesday April 16. The entire terminus was affected owing to the damage caused to the AC plant.

In this regard when contacted power minister Alexio Sequeira, admitted that state electricity department does not have the proper instruments to check the failures of electricity flow.  Accordingly they had sought the help of Power Grid Corporation. But since they too could not fix the problem, the assistance of Bangalore-based agency was being sought.

According to Sequeira the expert team of Bangalore-based agency has already descended in the state and begun their work.

Sequeira admitted that his department could not rectify the exact problem pertaining to Dabolim Airport and other related issues.

Power Grid Corporation along with electricity department had worked to rectify the problem. They have short listed some technical points, which might have been the cause of power failures.

"I am really sorry for inconvenience faced by people. However, I am also disturbed about the campaign started against the department," he said further.

Sequeira lambasted airport authorities' statement that they had to divert some airplanes via other airports owing to failure of AC, and said that airport authorities should have their own generator to cater to the needs of customers.

The transformer which is fitted in terminus has function of “tap-changing’’, which controls the system of electricity to give proper flow of current. Had they used this system, the problem would not have erupted, he added.

Sources from electricity department told this correspondent that electricity is diverted to industrial units illegally at nighttime, owing to which customers face problems. When asked about this, Sequeira ruled out such possibilities and said that the electricity department knows the importance of common people.  Domestic customers do not suffer, but industries do, he opined.

He assured that within 48 hours the problem will be solved.