The Holistic Master Plan, a brainchild of Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC), which had proposed to change the image of capital city, has turned out to a planned effort at non implementation.

Even as the , Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL) is working on a parking policy and a parking master plan, and that too with central and AMRUT funds, there are two clear questions that need to be asked . Did the consultancy services of LKS help the state. If yes, then why wasn’t their traffic management plan which was dovetailed in their master plan implemented. And if they fell short of giving a satisfactory plan which included a mobility plan for the city, what dud GSIDC do to take them to task to ensure public funds are not wasted

In 2013, a team from LKS Global, with representatives of LKS India had studied Panjim’s problem areas and had worked out a holistic master plan, which primarily dealt with parking, mobility, utilities, green and public spaces, heritage and city branding.

The same year Union Urban development ministry then approved preparing a comprehensive master plan for the state (which would include Panjim). Funds for the same were made available to GSUDA (State urban development authority). For three years it remained parked there till the project was transferred to GSIDC in 2016. It then sat there till 2017 till the project was transferred to IPSCDL

The IPSCDL – banking on the Union Ministry’s direction dated 2013- now wants to have a fresh survey and mapping of the State for comprehensive mobility plan with a total funding from the centre. It is surprising that it took nearly five years for the government to wake up to the directions issued by the Union Ministry.

The project was awarded to the Spain-based LKS India Private Limited by the GSIDC in December 2012, after which the survey was conducted and the consultant submitted 1016-page sector-wise detailed project report on Panjim city in 2014. 

In a bid to solve the city's parking woes, the plan also proposed having free parking areas just outside Panjim, well-connected to the rest of the city through a shuttle service but nothing seemed to be implemented and the plan just remained on paper.

Speaking to Herald, IPSCDL CEO and Managing Director (MD), Swayandipta Pal Chaudhuri said, “IPSCDL is in the process of coming up with a parking policy and parking master plan. First we will be doing the policy and get it approved by the high-level steering committee and then enacting it. At present nobody knows the data of how many cars are coming in, combustion levels and peak hours. The entire exercise would be completed in the next seven months.”

Also, a comprehensive mobility plan for the city will work towards providing sustainable regional transport over 20 years, and plan cost effective mechanism of public transport for the city.

The broad objectives of the parking policy and parking master plan for Panjim is to assess the effectiveness of current parking management systems, if any, including parking fees, parking time limits, and enforcement efforts.

Further, it will also develop a plan of on-street and off-street parking facilities in city in line with proposed policy and parking demand, development of parking policy framework and will identify locations where parking management is necessary to ensure the efficient and equitable use of public street space.