Goa likely to get power from Maharashtra

The Maharashtra government has assured Goa that it would sell 600 Mw power to it from the upcoming coal-based power plant at Jaigad in the Ratnagiri district.

Goa Deputy Chief Minister Wilfred De Souza made the announcement in the Goa assembly.

He said the Maharashtra government informed him through a letter that the state was setting up a 1,200 Mw power plant, of which 600 Mw could be made available to Goa, if it desired.

"If Goa buys power from Maharashtra it could save itself from the pollution caused by coal based power plants," De Souza added.

He also said he had worked hard to rid the state of pollution, be it from the solid waste, iron ore or coal and the steps had yielded results and over 80 per cent of coal was being handled mechanically.

Of the remaining 20 per cent, 10 per cent is being used by two Goa companies, which have agreed to import coke, which was less polluting while the users of remaining 10 per cent have been warned not to transport it by road.

De Souza said a Malaysian company had expressed its willingness to convert solid waste generated in the state into power and then sell it to Goa government for little over Rs 2 per unit. The company was ready to pump in Rs 450 crore on its own to set up the facility, he added.

He said while the arrival of tourists to the state has increased, the deaths owing to drowning have come down considerably owing to placement of more lifeguards on the beaches, even as he went on to add that government would exploit more avenues to promote tourism.

Dr de Souza also informed that an anomaly in reconstitution of the Goa Pollution Control Board has been rectified. The House later passed demands amounting to over Rs 38.62 crore, pertaining to is departments.