WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2024
Team Herald
VASCO: Gammon India Pvt Ltd on Wednesday informed that the Varunapuri-MPT flyover project is most likely to get delayed by eight months due to non-availability of labour, funds, construction material and the fear among the migrant labourers with regards to the increasing number of COVID cases in the State.
The officials said the most awaited and major connectivity project was supposed to be ready by December 2021. Gammon India’s administrative manager R Prabhakaran informed that so far 78 per cent of the project has been completed with regards to concreting. At present, the project work has started and is going at the scale of 13 per cent. This is due to the acute shortage of labourers, construction material and non-availability of funds.
He said, “In the last month there has been zero progress due to the pandemic. Apart from this, due to COVID we have incurred extra expenses on labour and staff payment, food, staying expenses without getting any work done.”
Prabhakaran informed that the company is waiting for labourers to return back, but the trains are not operational. There is fear among the labourers looking at the increasing number of COVID cases in Goa.
“We are also unable to get material from other States such as sand, iron and other construction material. The project was supposed to be ready by June 2021 as per my knowledge and now due to the complications because of pandemic it may further get delayed by eight months," he added.
The Administrative Manager informed that their main priority will be to complete the Varunapuri-Sada stretch first. “We are also seeking permission for project extension. The government funds have not come since the last 5-6 months. The PWD has assured us that they will work out on releasing the funds in October this year," Prabhakaran said.
As per the information available, the project, which started in 2015, is getting delayed due to several reasons. Last year in February, Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant met the Urban Development Minister, PWD officials, consultants, Gammon India Pvt Ltd, contractors and Vasco MLA to speed up the project work. The Chief Minister’s visit was to review the progress. At that time the road was inspected and orders were issued to fast-track the work.
Till April 2020, the Varunapuri area road, which is part of the project, was supposed to be completed.
This project was supposed to work on three concepts namely up-ramp, down-ramp and cable stayed bridge works. The government’s initial target was to complete the project by December 2021. The project will further ease traffic congestion.
