Team Herald
PANJIM: Margao Congress Block on Thursday dared the government to order a thorough probe into the work on improvement of infrastructure around the KTC bus stand at Margao during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit in connection with the Viksit Bharat programme on February 6 last year.
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Congress leaders led by Savio Coutinho highlighted that 16 JCBs or excavators, 16 tipper trucks and 115 workers were falsely claimed to be utilised for ten days from January 30, till February 8, last year and alleged that over Rs 120 crores were claimed to have spent on various works executed by the PWD in Margao and surrounding areas even though some of the works had no connection with the PM’s visit
In a representation submitted to Principle Chief Engineer of Public Works Department (PWD) Savio Coutinho claimed that there is a mismatch between the bills submitted for works undertaken in view of Viksit Bharat/Viksit Goa and visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s programme and the actual works at respective sites and alleged that Rs
He further claimed that fraud has been observed in works like improvement of infrastructure around Kadamba bus stand on arrival of Prime Minister at Fatorda at a estimated cost of Rs 71.16 lakh, hotmixing of road from Collector office to Arlem circle in Fatorda constituency at an estimated cost of Rs 4.31 crore, improvement of SGPDA ground opposite Inox in Fatorda constituency at an estimated cost of Rs 7.23 crore, improvement and hotmixing of Kadamba Bus Stand including Depot Area in Fatorda at an estimated cost of Rs 4.94 crore and making arrangement for temporary bus stand.
Speaking to reporters, Coutinho claimed that the works were given without issuing a tender notice.
He said,”It has been claimed that 16 JCBs, 16 trucks and 115 workers were deployed for ten days for improvement of infrastructure around Kadamba bus stand but the fact is that most of the arrangements were ready on February 1, 2024, itself and after that security was not allowing anyone. The area was totally cordoned off. It has been observed that the order was given ex post facto. The total work order given was of an estimated cost of Rs 120 crore. So we demand an inquiry into this.”
