Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar has termed the detention of an Assistant Engineer (AE) from the 220 kV substation as “illegal,” stating that it was done without the Chief Minister’s permission despite the facility being of critical importance.
Dhavalikar said the Executive Engineer (EE) had already informed the Collector that the substation is a vital installation supplying power to multiple constituencies, and had specifically mentioned that the AE could not leave or even attend phone calls due to strict operational protocols.
“Despite these clear instructions, the Deputy Collector failed to arrange a replacement and went ahead with detaining a gazetted officer. Such an action, taken without the Chief Minister’s approval, is illegal,” the minister asserted.
He added that the Chief Engineer has spoken to the Chief Secretary regarding the incident, and that an appropriate decision will be taken soon.
Calling it a serious matter, Dhavalikar said, “If any issue had arisen during that period, who would have taken responsibility?” However, he also noted that the matter should be viewed objectively from both sides before drawing conclusions.
