16 Jun 2022  |   07:27am IST

PWD won’t manage Atal Setu till all gaps rectified: Cabral

To ensure `Ease of Doing Business’, Cabral said that under Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s guidance he will bring certain modifications to the administrative process within PWD during his tenure

Team Herald

PANJIM: PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral has said that his department will not take over management or maintenance of the third Atal Setu Bridge across the Mandovi river till the time the bridge is repaired and all defects are rectified by the contractor.

The bridge was built by the L&T Company and is managed by the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC), which has now roped in the IIT Madras to study the causes of potholes on the bridge. 

Cabral said that the IIT Madras must address all the issues of the Atal Setu and after rectifying all the problems, it should hand over the bridge to PWD.  

 “I am following it up with GSIDC officials. PWD will not manage Atal Setu bridge till all its faults and problems are sorted out by the contractor and GSIDC,” he said.

Reacting to the several potholes on the Cantilever Zuari bridge, Cabral said that the PWD is facing hurdles to repair the potholes due to the movement of heavy traffic on the bridge. He said that the bridge will have to be kept closed for a minimum of 10 to 15 hours to repair the potholes.

To ensure `Ease of Doing Business’, Cabral said that under Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s guidance he will bring certain modifications to the administrative process within PWD during his tenure. This simplified process will help people to avail proper facilities by the PWD without any hindrance. The programme is being drafted to ensure that people receive adequate eating for at least four hours a day, he said.