PANAJI: The state government has formed a committee to evaluate the bids received for the tender to shift all overhead power cables underground along with installation of smart electricity and lighting poles in the state capital and Ribandar.After Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited ( IPSCDL ) floated a tender to modernize the power infrastructure in August, four major companies evinced interest and bid for the project, which is valued at around Rs 65 crores.“The bids are being evaluated and by October-end we will issue the work order,” said Swayandipta Pal Chaudhuri, IPSCDL chief executive officer and managing director of IPSCDL.The evaluation committee consists of chief electrical engineer Neelkanth Reddy, executive engineer Rajagopalan, principal of Goa College of Architecture Ashish Rege, principal of Goa College of Art and a representative of IPSCDL.To resolve the erratic power supply problem often faced by the state capital, IPSCDL plans to modernize the power infrastructure by bringing in SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) compact power stations while also moving the existing overhead power cables underground.The frequent power outages in the state, especially in the capital forced the Goa electricity department to seek IPSCDL’s assistamce to upgrade the existing power infrastructure.The state government has granted financial approval for the tender which is expected to be completed in 12 months from the date that the contract is awarded, sources said.Dangling electrical wires and outdated electrical equipment proved to be a bane during the early monsoon this year, leading to frequent power cuts as falling trees and other objects caused lines to snap.“There is a five-year maintenance clause that we have added to the tender to ensure that the infrastructure is maintained after being installed,” Chaudhuri said.

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