Goa government is quite literally doing what the American scientist foresaw in every aspect of its governance.
In a heart-wrenching incident, as the world ushered in the New Year, a family lost their beloved young son in the wee hours of January 1, as he was returning home after celebrating the beginning of 2024. His two-wheeler plunged into a pit dug for the construction of a manhole in the Mala area as part of ‘Smart City’ works in Panjim. This is the second fatality under the project in less than three months. In October last year, a catastrophic rubble collapse resulted in the loss of one worker’s life and left another severely injured. During the last year, numerous accidents of trucks and tankers overturning have been reported due to the ‘Smart City’ roads caving in. While the contractors evade being booked, it is only the drivers of the vehicles who are being booked for negligent driving.
The ‘Smart City’ project now seems to have become a curse for Panjim rather than a boon. It took the Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL) as well as the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) more than 100 hours to do the basic fundamental part of its duty, inspect the spot where the 21-year-old youth lost his life. Even without the spot inspection, the IPSCDL managing director and CEO was quick to take a stand that all norms of safety were being followed. If so, then what prompted the agency and its contractor – after the accident – to install proper barricades, reflectors and night lamps around the pits on the road stretch along the banks of Rua de Ourem creek?
IPSCDL is a body constituted of nine bureaucrats and two public representatives, the Panjim MLA and the CCP Mayor. Under their watch, including the Chief Secretary, secretaries and heads of different departments such as the PWD, two precious lives have been lost and no one has been held accountable and responsible for the incidents as yet. Did they neglect the poor preparations and safety measures that need to be in place while carrying out such a large-scale development project?
The Panjim MLA has maintained a complete silence, perhaps reaffirming his earlier stand that the ‘Smart City’ reeks of corruption as he had stated in May 2023 that the works were “substandard”. On the other hand, after a visit to the spot where the youth lost his life, the CCP Mayor delivered an emotional statement, “If something like this had to happen to my child, I would have buried the contractor in the same hole.”
The local MLA and the Mayor are part of the IPSCDL and as elected representatives, part of governance and hence have a responsibility towards the people. If the works have been substandard what measures has the Panjim MLA taken during the last eight months? Is the CCP expecting the parents of the youth to take the law into their hands or will the Corporation take responsibility and file a criminal complaint against the agency, its contractor and the officials involved with the project?
The Chief Minister has called for a meeting next week, and Goans, the people of Panjim in particular, expect him to take the lead in reassuring the citizens that we do not live in a lawless State. The lethargy of the bureaucracy makes the losses of the citizens just statistics. Human loss cannot be just statistics and the losses incurred by the people due to government negligence should be considered a crime. Disaster is at the doorstep and the government ought to wake up from its slumber to avoid further damage.
