Dr. Nandkumar M Kamat is a doctorate in microbiology scientist and science writer.

As a scientist I have always wondered how for the past 20 years the puzzle of frequent failure of power supply from Bambolim substation to Goa University on just four kilometers long 11 KV straight aluminum conductor has no obstructions on the route. The reasons given are predictable every year- failure of insulators, failure of lightning arrestor, failure of radiator, frequent problems with the jumper, this or that issue with the transformer but shockingly no permanent solution has been found in the  past 20 years. During the daytime there is a huge impact on research and teaching. Hundreds of expensive instruments and equipment have suffered damages due to sudden voltage surges and power failures.

At faculty residential area and boys and girls hostels at Goa University at its Taleigao campus everybody becomes apprehensive as the night approaches. We, the residents, need to arrange for emergency lights and gather candles. Windows and doors need to be shut from afternoon itself to deny entry of swarms of mosquitoes. It really doesn’t need a storm or heavy rains  for the power supply to Goa University campus to fail. Recently a transformer at Bambolim substation failed cutting the power supply for 18 hours.

After the recent cyclone, the power failed for five straight nights from May 13 to 18. It was an active personal interest taken by a dynamic secretary, power, Kunal, an IAS officer for restoring  the power to Goa University campus. Without his intervention a few more days would have been wasted. The Executive Engineer , North Goa Stephen Fernandes is another exceptional employee of the Power department who tries to help when the power fails frequently and for longer intervals but even he was clueless to find a permanent solution.

The power supply from Bambolim substation is the lifeline of more than 600 residents-many dependent on supply at night for their academic and research work. The campus is a nursery of several species of dangerous mosquitoes and poisonous snakes. But residents are forced to work in candlelight as there is none to attend the complaints at Bambolim substation. When I asked secretary Kunal whom I should contact at night if the power supply fails from the Bambolim substation he said call the helpline 1912. I informed him that the landline number 2458304 of the Bambolim substation published on the Government website is not working. But the strangest experience was the mobile numbers, 7796633128 and 8380015049  given to register complaints at Bambolim substation were not working. Nobody at the 1912 helpline could give any guarantee that these numbers would work at night. This experience clearly proved that the power customers are helpless and persons who are supposed to take their complaints and find solutions exist just on the paper. They are poorly trained and lack the manners and spirit of service with sensitivity demonstrated by their superiors like power secretary Kunal and engineer Stephen Fernandes.

Since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020 we have been spending sleepless nights due to frequent power interruptions. However I saw a ray of hope in the personal approach of secretary, power, Kunal. I publicly acknowledge and appreciate his spirit of working by making field visits and conducting inspection and taking the bull by its horns. This article is about how every subordinate government employee in every government department of the state should learn from an action oriented and ‘go getter’, pro people and friendly IAS officer like Kunal who is a great gift to Goa from Bihar, his native place. He performed very efficiently as the Chief Election Commissioner during 2017 and 2019. However, I came to know about his style of work and decision making only after he had to personally take up the responsibility as secretary, power to repair and restore the power supply all over Goa after the recent cyclone. The failure of the power supply had deteriorated my health to such an extent due to sleep deprivation that I began to send detailed messages to secretary Kunal requesting his personal intervention. He read one of my desperate messages for help today because I have to look after a disabled child who doesn’t understand anything about power failure at night and develops frequent rashes and allergies after insect bites. With a team of engineers from the power department he landed today afternoon at the Goa University substation and carried out a detailed inspection and discussion to familiarize himself with the power failure issues. He personally verified the entries in the substation logbook recording the  power failure. Then he spoke to a concerned university engineer to identify a permanent solution to the issue.

Throughout his brief visit I was observing him because he had done something different. We do not remember any officer of his level ever visiting Goa University power substation to personally inquire into the technical issues. He repeatedly told his engineers that being the only apex body of higher education, Goa University is entitled for guaranteed and uninterrupted quality power supply. I was surprised that he categorically mentioned that he was very much sensitive about my own problems due to power failure and this should not have happened. The engineers heard him saying- “it is our deficiency that the power is failing, and we must find a permanent solution”. I remembered hundreds of frantic phone calls I had made to the engineers of the power department and the power minister himself as the power supply situation to Goa University campus and faculty residential area began to deteriorate rapidly from May 2020.

The secretary, power came into the picture only after the cyclone and he couldn’t believe that all this has been happening when the Bambolim substation was located just four kilometres away. After the cyclone he personally visited the area and only after that the power to our campus was restored. But after a few days the situation began to deteriorate. So again, I had to request him to intervene. In 40 years of my experience of public service and interaction with hundreds of government officers I do not remember an officer of his stature taking such a genuine interest in the grievances of a citizen and rushing urgently to find a solution.

No doubt the solution once found would benefit an academic community of 3000 in future but when it is applied the due credit would have to be given to the dynamic power secretary Kunal. I told the engineers of the power department that they must imbibe his spirit of accountability, sensitivity, and service. If India as a nation survives today it’s only because of such duty conscious senior officers in every state and union territory. Before he departed after the inspection he said- “I don’t mind if you wake me up at night any time after power fails”. We need to check how many officers of the Goa government could say that with concern, confidence and conviction.

Courtesy: The Navhind Times, Goa. www.navhindtimes.in