Team Herald 

PANJIM: The ‘unsafe’ Dona Paula jetty, popular attraction for tourists and filmmakers, will remain closed for public access with its reconstruction plan scheduled soon. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting with officials from Ports Administration, City Corporation, PWD, Imagine Panjim Smart City Development Corporation, etc on Wednesday, two days after the site inspection.   

“The jetty will be closed for public and the order in this respect will be issued within 1-2 days,” said one of the officials who attended the meeting chaired by North District Collector Levinson Martins. 

Imagine Panjim, formed to implement Smart City in Panjim, had sought immediate attention over the dilapidated condition of the jetty. The PWD, in its last meeting was also asked to conduct an audit of the jetty. 

In the last meeting major concerns of the jetty was highlighted such as its current condition, parts that need to be revamped, reallocation of vendors from the jetty and most importantly as to why the jetty was not closed earlier after IPSCDL had written it to the Collector for immediate closure and what were the constrains.

Herald had reported that the North Goa district administration had decided to block public access to the Dona Paula jetty, as it is set to undergo major repairs under the Smart City Mission, but due to some constrains the plan was not executed.