The functioning of the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) has always been under the scanner due to its whopping costs.

The main reasons for the high costs are that the GSIDC does not follow the PWD GSR, which has a fixed price for all materials.

On condition of anonymity, due to election code of conduct, an official said that the ‘PWD GSR does not have many modern articles, like interiors, etc so these have be taken from outside.’

“There is also a difference in work quality between GSIDC and PWD,” he says.

Cumbarjua-Gaundalim Bridge

Herald’s further investigations revealed a few projects which could come under the scanner.

The main being the Cumbarjua-Gaundalim bridge which was inaugurated in April 2016 and barely nine months later the bridge has developed a crack and the arch has begun to tilt, posing serious danger to the commuters.

However, the GSIDC MD Sanjith Rodrigues denies this and says bridge is closed for regular maintenance work.

3 washrooms for Rs 5.89 cr

GSIDC has used up almost Rs 6 crore on the construction of just three washrooms.

The toilets – two at Old Goa and one at Mala – have cost the taxpayer Rs 5.89 crore.

Information obtained under the Right To Information Act (RTI) by Herald reveals, that the construction of washrooms at Old Goa for the 2014 Exposition in two packages cost Rs 3,32,98,087 (Package I was Rs 1,67,54,331 and Package II was Rs 1,65,43,756). The RTI reply also reveals that the construction of washrooms at Mala (Package I) will cost Rs 2,56,43,457.

After having spent Rs 3.32 crore on the washrooms at Old Goa, they are now closed for public and are opened only for the 10 days of the novenas and feast of St Francis Xavier.

What came as a further shock was that during the Exposition, the government spent Rs 78.5 lakh on installation and maintenance of the chemical toilets.

Compare this huge cost for washrooms with the construction a primary school in Cambrabhat, which is approximately around 200 sq metres with modern facilities and a compound wall. GSIDC took this up at just Rs 70,15,874.

Similarly, the reconstruction of Government Primary School at Falwada, Cudnem Bicholim has been taken up at Rs 71,77,814 and construction of a Primary School at Tamsodo Dharbandora at Rs 99,77,392.

And, the washroom facilities in Old Goa and Mala do not have the facilities available at the Tonca primary school.

The PWD rate for a small single toilet is Rs 28,000 and at that rate you can build 10 toilets for Rs 2.80 lakh.

Water supply and beach cleaning; GSIDC supplies water, has refused to do beach cleaning

While the GSIDC is still reeling under debts of thousands of crores, the agency is now also getting into the water supply through tankers and beach cleaning.

Due to shortage of water at GMC the water supply is carried out through tankers by GSIDC.

“All this while water was supplied through PWD and it pains me to understand why now it is through GSIDC?” said a GMC official adding “this appears to be a scam nobody knows how much water is come as nobody monitors this.”

Similarly, the GSIDC, which was undertaking lifting of garbage from highways, has now roped in Drishti to look after Beach Cleaning.

“What is the mandate of GSIDC and why should it get into all this business? GSIDC is to speed up development infrastructure and now it gets into beach cleaning,” said Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte.

After the High Court directed the Tourism Department to stop payments to the beach cleaning contractors, the State government roped in GSIDC to monitor beach cleaning.

However, the GSIDC later clarified that since beach cleaning would involve additional financial costs, it has said it would not take up beach cleaning.

“A request letter was received from GTDC to extend the services of Highway Cleaning to Beach Cleaning. In regards to the same, GSIDC had replied to the letter stating that Highway Cleaning is confined to collection, segregation and transportation to waste strewn along highways using specific number of manpower and vehicles specified in the contract. And as per the scope of work included in beach cleaning it would involve additional manpower, tools/machinery which would lead to considerable financial cost implication and major deviation from the contract executed for Highway Cleaning,” said a GSIDC letter. 

Further, it says, “In view of the above, GSIDC informed that it will not be able to take up any work of Beach Cleaning.”