Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI. The Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) has directed Goa’s electricity department to carry out a detailed inquiry into failed power infrastructure projects, including the aerial bunch cabling (ABC) initiative, and submit a report within three months.
The order followed a complaint from a consumer alleging poor accountability and lack of transparency in reviewing projects such as the ABC scheme, which has resulted in losses exceeding ₹140 crore.
In its response, the department assured that a committee will be tasked with examining the lapses and reaffirmed its commitment to transparency. The JERC has asked for a comprehensive report once the committee completes its probe.
The ABC project, launched in 2017 to curb power cuts in areas unsuitable for underground cabling, has largely failed to deliver. During the recent Assembly session, Power Minister Ramkrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar admitted that no meaningful progress had been made in investigating the ₹145 crore scheme.
Dhavalikar explained that while a committee was first set up in October 2023, it never convened due to transfers of its members. A revised proposal for reconstitution was cleared in May 2025, including the state health secretary as the third member. However, with fresh changes in the top bureaucracy, a new panel will now have to be reconstituted.
Of the 201 km of ABC lines laid across Panaji, Bicholim, and Mapusa, only 39 km in Bicholim is functional. The remaining 162 km remain idle and have not been dismantled.
