Since this is something Goa has been suffering without proper remedy for too long , herewith the article sent to Herald (published edited a bit)and Justices S B Deshmuk and U D Salve thought it espoused public cause and converted it into a PIL:
WHO WILL BELL THE CAT? The Chief Minister had assured in the Assembly that his government will have zero tolerance for corruption. He had also disclosed, somewhat contrary to his assertion, that out of 30 cases of corruption accepted since June 2007, investigations have been completed in only 12 cases. This is the bane of our Politics and Institutions. Someone rightly said Poly is many and Ticks suck blood. Today electrical equipment is essential for our security and safety and affects every facet of our lives. We cannot afford to tolerate the present state of affairs. My tryst with trying to improve the power supply scenario starts with the Goa State Consumer Protection Council (CPC, of which I am a member) Meeting at the Secretariat on 27/11/06. When the Chairman observed that I started voicing too many facts and figures and unpleasant truths regarding losses to Industry and Consumers, he cut me short with asking the Chief Electrical Engineer to hold a meeting with me and do the needful. I followed up with a meeting in Vidyut Bhavan at 1.30 PM on 5/12/06, thereafter handing over and also inwarding the letter which informed inter alia, that the Verna Industrial Estate with 275 units suffered 47 blackouts, Kundaim Industrial 85 blackouts, resulting in huge financial losses. There are reportedly 6340 registered units in 22 Industrial Estates. Imagine the frustration and financial losses! Besides blackouts there are brownouts (due voltage fluctuation) which causes havoc to electrical equipment of consumers everywhere in homes, hospitals, cold-storages, old age homes etc with resultant fallout in water supply and so on. I listed specific suggestions separately for IMMEDIATE, FUTURE, and STRATEGIC PLANNING. But all my homework on the subject and efforts were treated lightly. But I dont give up easily.This SAME matter was brought up, 2 years later, at the next Council Meeting in the Secretariat on 25/04/08. The present Chairman Minister Jose Philip DSouza assured me at that meeting, that under his watch, things would move efficiently. But all went back to “Business As Usual”, and not even one meeting of the CPC was called thereafter, which is violative of The Consumer Protection ACT, which requires at least two meetings to be held EVERY year! But who can think of punishing anyone in the government for negligence, dereliction of duty or non compliance with ACTS? After many unanswered reminders sent via the Member Secretary CPC, I visited the Vidyut Bhavan and was surprised to find that the Department could not even find the letter I had officially submitted, leave alone act on it!. Thereafter can you believe they even lost the Xerox copy I submitted personally to the concerned engineer! In the meantime a scam was reported in the newspapers regarding Street Lights CFLs supplied. The matter even came up in the Assembly! Just like in the present Assembly, the wasteful expenditure in the matter of Fridges, Air Conditioners, TV sets, cutlery etc for Ministers pointed out by the opposition leader was a laughing matter with no serious action, this CFL scam was passed over. So I decided to investigate and found to my surprise that the CFLs were some unknown make (The box and CFL had no markings of where or who manufactured), most supplied defective at my area sub-station, and all over Goa failure rate reportedly around 85%. They could have been manufactured in Timbuktu, but it was disclosed in the Assembly that there was no ISI stamp as they were Chinese make. How could this pass through our elaborate tendering and stores supply quality control procedures, when more reliable and better quality ones are manufactured in India? I therefore went under RTI and was shocked to find out the facts. It was an ordeal to get PIO replies, one from Vidyut Bhavan, Panaji and another from Store Workshop, Margao. I was charged Rs16/- (Rs2/page) for the reply. But that is another story. These replies showed the lacunae which was included in a letter to the CEE with 4 enclosures. Encl l- DESPITE NEW LINE, CANACONA FACES BLACKOUT (TOI 7/8/08), Encl 2-CFCs FAIL TO SHED LIGHT (HERALD9Jul08), Encl 3-CONSTANT FLUCTUATIONS HIT PORT TOWN( HERALD 2/7/08),Encl-4 FOREIGNER BLAMES ERRATIC POWER FOR LOSS OF GADGETS9 HERALD 29/6/08 with a laid out photo of umpteen electrical equipment destroyed due faulty power supply).The Department has no quality control wing, and important material is tested by MRT Lab by random selection. There is also no methology to check the life of CFLs. Since they are guaranteed for 12 months (as against 8000 hours specified on the container) therefore no enquiry is held as there is no loss to the exchequer! I wonder how many defective CFLs were replaced and how many of those supplied are in use to date. The suppliers were paid Rs 51,54,056/-. I understand from Porvorim Sub Station, that after the experience with these CFLs, they indented for sodium lights, but they are told to cancel that and ask for CFLs. I am still waiting for a reply from the CEE. (Without casting any aspersions, I cannot understand why government reported policy for no extensions keeps being flouted and I understand he is getting his 5th extension of service after retirement.) Reference news in Gomantak Times 22JULY09 ( besides other media) under headline POLITICIANS PROTECTING ROGUE EMPLOYEES OF POWER DEPARTMENT, reported top honchos of the electrical department are under severe pressure to withdraw consent given to police to prosecute two employees misappropriating revenue of around 55 lakhs. Another recent scheme reportedly has distributed Chinese made CFLs to BPL people. I trust these will be a boon to the beneficiaries. CONCLUSION- If even a CPC member gets scant attention, there is no significance attached to concrete suggestions made, and assurances given not honoured without explanation .If the Consumer Protection Act can be regularly flouted with impunity, there is no accountability or transparency in administration, in fact cover up and protection to dereliction of duty is practiced with impunity, the Chief Ministers assurance of zero tolerance for corruption has little meaning. If even ex-MLAs can get Laptops/Computers, why are simple things like supply of mobile communication sets and FRP ladders for safety and improving efficiency not given to linesman? The Vidyut Bhavan itself and its whole organization in Goa needs complete overhaul in administration. I suggest work study by an outside organization to straighten out the chaos and lack of order and discipline. I found engineers not clear in their duties and responsibilities, loss of my important letter, staff idly reading newspapers at 11AM! There must be a serious enquiry into the CFL street lights scam and why Chinese make was preferred by our government to encouraging Indian manufactured items. The fallout will minimize corruption, siphoning and wastage of funds, eliminate possibility of procurement of sub standard goods and better control for timely supply of strictly monitored good quality stores at sub stations. Planned upgrading education of all staff, weeding out corrupt/drunk on duty/incompetent staff (see photos of pole and transformer contributing to blocked drain), trained meter readers with identification badges, area wise fixed dates for meter reading/billing like BSNL is doing is required. Every shut down /brown out (including local area) felt by the consumers must be correctly recorded for correct statistics, and trained telephone operator to receive complaints is an important requirement. These will also be crucial in disaster management, besides consumer questions/complaints will be quickly answered/solved at source. Telephone / Television cables are strung on electric poles, and haphazard overhead wiring can be dangerous since there is poor monitoring and control. Lastly I would advise the Department to give publicity to educate your Consumers, which will help in controlling illegal siphoning of power, cutting of trees, safe stringing up of power lines and so on with peoples understanding and cooperation. Last but not the least; please note Mahatma Gandhi’s advice which is in essence that the Government Departments exists for the benefit of the Consumer and not the other way around. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------