PONDA: The Golden Jubilee Project of Ponda Muncipal Council (PMC) comprising of shops and offices, and other facilities is moving at a snail’s pace even 12 years after laying the foundation stone. The work on the project located in the heart of Ponda town is pending due to various reasons including delay by the contractor.
The signature project was sanctioned in 2011 during the Congress regime to commemorate the golden jubilee year of Goa’s Liberation. Ponda MLA and Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik, who was then Home Minister, had laid the foundation stone for the project on December 19, 2011, and the project’s estimated cost was Rs 2.50 crore.
But a few years after commencement of the work, the contractor stopped it for unknown reasons. The PMC then prepared another estimate of the project and demanded an additional fund of Rs 2.40 crore for completion of pending work. Finally the contract was terminated due to long delay and incomplete work.
When contacted, PMC Chairperson Ritesh Naik said that the council has recently passed a resolution to complete the project at the earliest. He said the project work is in the final stage with civil and other work pending. A meeting in this regard has been held with Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA), he informed.
“The three issues were discussed with GSUDA and the building would be completed upto the third floor with a provision for constructing the fourth floor. The contract of the project contractor has been terminated, and PMC has decided to appoint a consultant at the earliest by floating expression of interest and complete the pending project work,” Naik stated.
