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Goa pleads HC to lift ban on power supply to new industries

Goa's provincial government has requested the high court to lift the ban on electricity connections to new industrial units.

The ban was imposed by the Goa bench of the Bombay high court in May 1998, following public outcry over the proliferation of power-guzzling industrial units. With no new generation units in the state, the new industries had affected electricity supply to non-commercial places like offices, houses.

The court had then banned not only new high tension industrial connections but even the low tension ones to commercial establishments. Power connections for illumination during special occasions were also banned, except for festivals and national holidays.

Some 2,328 establishments still await power connections. The total demand is for over 51 mega-watts. Goa draws only 210 MW from Maharashtra and Karnataka with huge transmission losses recorded in transit.

Despite trying to arrest power thefts and the commissioning of 40 MW private power plant by Reliance Salgaoncar in July, the tourist state is still facing electricity shortage. The problem has stunted industrial development.

In an affidavit filed before the high court, the state has now requested to allow the electricity department to dispose 2,263 applications for low tension in agriculture, commercial and motive power works, which requires only 10 MW of electricity.

"It would at least satisfy the power needs of small shops, kiosks, restaurants, hotels, small industries and poultry farms. Several industries are also facing losses as production has not begun but the loan payments," points out R A Ghali, the chief electrical engineer.

Both the LT and HT industrial categories can be taken care of by supplying 29.77 MW of the 40 MW of power purchased from the Reliance Salgoancar. The department has also sought court permission to release connections up to 10 MW for the six applicants requiring 21.52 MW, in a chronological order.

Claiming that the load capacity of total consumption at peak hours has never exceeded 195 MW despite the total connected load of 814 MW, the department still claims that power crisis would not emerge even if all the applicants are given connections, in spite of a shortfall of 11 MW of power.

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Goa