Team Herald
SANGUEM: Commenced in early 2019, the four- lane parallel bridge at Bendwada in Sanguem which was expected to be completed in late 2020, fails to see the light of the day even after the foundation stone was laid three years ago.
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While the work was inordinately delayed soon after laying the foundation stone on account of the Covid 19 pandemic, the contractor initially dilly dallied with the work operations even when the situation was limping back to normalcy.
He was then forced to start work on the bridge after villagers threatened to agitate in late 2020 but
however played dirty after a few days and began to shift construction material from the site to an alternate place which was stopped by the locals.
In December 2020, the citizens also led an agitation at Sanguem over the delay in the bridge construction and this time former PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar had ensured the people that the construction work would resume by January 2021.
The contractor then made a guest appearance, the work commenced again but he disappeared and has never turned up till date, said irate villagers.
As of now, only the spans have been laid but no other work is being undertaken.
The bridge was tendered for a little over Rs 16 cr and was supposed to have four spans of 26 metres each and footpaths on either side.
Recently Sanguem MLA Subhash Phaldessai did admit that the contractor was playing hide and seek with the work and had assured that he would take up the issue with the GSIDC officials.
Councillor Messiah Da Costa urged the GSIDC to complete the work on a war footing as the existing bridge was weak and on the verge of collapse.
“The authorities should get to work before any untoward incident takes place,” said Da Costa and added that if the existing bridge collapses, the only connecting link of Sanguem town and other nearby areas with neighbouring Curchorem constituency will get disconnected.
