Nearly a decade has passed since the ambitious Smart City project was launched for Panjim, yet today, residents find themselves surrounded not by modern marvels, but by a city in disarray. What began in 2015 with great hope has unravelled into a grim reality of poor planning, delayed execution, and disillusionment.
When Late Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar envisioned Panjim’s transformation, particularly with the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in view, the capital witnessed a commendable facelift. The elegant promenade and the spruced-up avenues spoke of a city rising with purpose and pride. That brief era of efficiency and vision fuelled expectations when Panjim was selected under the central government’s Smart City Mission. Goans, who have long admired the systematic planning and infrastructural finesse of European cities and Gulf nations, naturally anticipated a similar transformation at home.
However, fast forward to today, and the promise of a “smart” Panjim seems more like a cruel joke than a civic achievement. While residents endured years of dug-up roads, open manholes, and incomplete pipelines, the result has been underwhelming—at best. Barring a few cosmetic changes, there’s little to suggest that Panjim is any closer to being a smart city. To the discerning Goan citizen, who has lived in meticulously planned towns and developed a refined sense of civic infrastructure, laying sewerage lines or installing basic drainage systems doesn’t amount to smart development.
Even the much-hyped smart bus transport system, the one seemingly forward-looking initiative under the project, has failed to strike a chord with the public. Lack of outreach, unclear communication and poorly integrated planning have rendered it largely ineffective. This lack of engagement with the citizenry reflects a deep-rooted flaw in the approach of Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Ltd (IPSCDL). Locked in their boardrooms and stuck in bureaucratic circles, IPSCDL has functioned in isolation, disconnected from the very people it was meant to serve.
The latest debacle—failure to meet yet another deadline of March 31 despite High Court directives—is merely the latest chapter in this catalogue of inefficiency. With each missed deadline, the credibility of the project nosedives further. The onset of unseasonal showers has already begun to reveal the frailties of Panjim’s unfinished infrastructure. With only 14 out of 30 wards reportedly undergoing pre-monsoon drain-cleaning, the city is staring at the grim prospect of flooding. This is not just a planning failure—it is administrative apathy at its worst.
What is most concerning is the silence and helplessness of those in positions of authority. Mayor Rohit Monserrate and MLA Atanasio “Babush” Monserrate, despite being members of the IPSCDL board, have repeatedly expressed their dissatisfaction with the quality and pace of the works. If even elected representatives are unable to rein in the bureaucrats and contractors, one must ask—who is truly in charge? Have the bureaucrats hijacked the project, operating beyond the scope of public accountability?
Furthermore, this is no longer just about development delays or shoddy workmanship. The lethargy and disregard displayed by IPSCDL and its contractors have had fatal consequences—three lives have been lost over the past two years due to their negligence. Yet, no one has been held accountable. There is a deafening silence on the toll taken on the health and safety of citizens, on the financial strain caused by property damage, or the environmental degradation witnessed along the way.
The High Court must now ask tough questions. Can contempt proceedings alone deter such entrenched inefficiency? Or is it time to demand criminal liability for the preventable deaths and civic chaos caused by this mismanaged project?
Ultimately, Panjim deserves more than half-measures and hollow promises. Citizens have been patient, but their patience should not be mistaken for passivity. Responsibility must be fixed—not on sub-contractors alone, but on those in power who have failed in their duty. The IPSCDL board, contractors, and bureaucrats must be held accountable for turning an opportunity for transformation into a tale of ruin.
Only through firm accountability, sincere engagement with the public, and a complete overhaul of the current working style can Panjim rise once again—not just as a city with smart infrastructure, but as one where smart governance prevails. The time for cosmetic fixes is over. What Panjim needs now is a return to visionary leadership, civic empathy, and administrative competence. Nothing less will suffice.