Parra ryots’ plea objecting to power lines dismissed

Panaji: The high court of Bombay at Goa has dismissed the plea of the farmers of Parra and Verla who have been objecting to the electricity department's power transmission lines being laid through their agricultural fields.
The farmers had challenged the June 4 order of the North Goa district magistrate permitting the electricity department to take the 33kv line through their fields. For quite sometime now, the tourist belt of Calangute and neighbouring areas have been facing severe power outages. As a solution, the electricity department proposed to get new lines via Parra where the farmers who were tilling the land, protested.
Advocate Caroline Collasso, who represented the farmers, argued that there was no permission or order when the department began work through the fields, to which the court stated that there is an order now. Collasso said a technical report from a civil engineer had suggested an alternate route where the lines can be taken through the highway along the service line. She also said the electricity department could have laid the cables underground. The judge said this was the prerogative of the department.
Collasso said the department has explain why the lines have to pass through their fields when there is an alternative route available. She said the application made by the power department to the district magistrate was not given to them, and that they were not given an opportunity to be heard on the application.
Government advocate Deep Shirodkar said the matter was argued at length before the collector and the parties were given multiple opportunities to be heard. The additional line is required because of power outages and load-shedding taking place, he said.