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Blackout! Goa cuts power to industry

Sandesh Prabhudesai in Panaji

Goa will not be able to allow any new major industry into the state, at least for the next year, thanks to the ongoing power crisis, the worst ever that the has faced.

By now most industries, including multinationals, run on petrol or diesel generators rather than face irritating voltage fluctuations throughout the day. Load shedding of 40 mw daily has already begun all over the state, including peak hours at night, causing much discomfort to the citizens during the balmy summer nights.

To make matters worse, Power Minister Mauvin Godinho announced recently that electric supply to the high-consuming steel factories will henceforth be allotted only for 10 days every month. This will affect production in at least 20 medium-scale steel foundries.

Godinho sought the media's help to spread the word about Goa's crisis situation. "Can you tell the new industries that we are unable to provide power," Godinho told mediapersons when asked how the state would supply power to the new industries under construction. He also declared that high power consuming units will not be permitted in Goa.

State industrialists are unimpressed. "Godinho has already caused sufficient damage by permitting such units," quips Parag Joshi, president of the state's Small Industries Association. He claims that in the last one year, the government has permitted over 20 power guzzling units to be set up, including a steel plant allowed as late as last month.

Most of the industries rushed into production because the five-year tax holiday concession expired on March 31. The state has permitted as many as 222 units, including 23 big ones, despite being fully aware of the power crisis.

Around 163 large and medium scale industries are presently in the pipeline, including the Rs 5 billion Italian project of Taksid Kalyani, and Coca-Cola's bottling unit. But the government remains unsure about meeting their power requirements.

"They should have their own captive power generators," feels Sanjay Shenga, state industries director. Luizinho Faleiro, the industry minister, is chalking out a crisis management plan of getting barge-mounted power generators.

Goa needs 250 mw of power, which is expected to reach 400 mw in the next two years. The state can, however, wheel only up to 190 mw supplied from the neighbouring states, admits Godinho.

As Goa's supply from Maharashtra is frequently disrupted due to overloading of the 220 KV circuit at Kolhapur, the voltage often dips down to 150 KV and sometimes as low as 135 KV.

The government has chalked out plans to improve the existing crisis situation within one year while the state also expects the Centre to help overcome the crisis.

Union Power Minister P Kumarmangalam is expected to visit the state in May when these proposals would be put forward to him.

Goa's first mini private power project of 50 mw is expected to be commissioned in four months. Godinho is also planning to request another 50 mw from the Kaiga Atomic Power Centre, 30 km away from Panaji, once it is commissioned in December 1999.

"It will not help us in providing additional power supply but only in improving the existing power situation marginally," states Manohar Parrikar, a BJP legislator.