Pondy Electricity dept to take Rs 100 cr loan

Puducherry, Apr 21: The Puducherry administration will avail a loan for Rs 100 crore during the current fiscal, exclusively for the development of electricity department, Industries Minister V Vaithilingam told the Territorial Assembly today.

Replying to a question, he said the fund would be utilised for setting up sub-stations and for system improvement.

Mr Vaithilingam said as many as 1,528 houses constructed in all the four regions of the Union Territory and 36 industrial units were yet to be given power connection. Though there was no shortage of power in Puducherry, there was a problem with distribution lines.

The administration was increasing the capacity of transformers in the town limit, but as the demand was also growing, more transformers would have to be set up. A sub-station was proposed at Venkatanagar during the current financial year, he added.

The Minister said steps were being taken to change the electricity department into a board, for which a study report had been sought.

On the non-availability of power poles, he said PAPSCO had been advised to manufacture 2,000 poles and once it was completed, there would be no shortage of power poles.

UNI