PANJIM: Cracks have developed on the concrete road stretch between Panjim and Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim, which is part of the National Highway 66.

Some of these gaps are almost an inch wide, and so deep that even the iron rods beneath the concrete are exposed, raising questions on the quality of the concrete road. Presently, the rectification work is being carried out by the contractor.

“The government has constructed this road at the cost of public exchequer, crores of rupees have been spent and within two years of its construction, we see cracks developing on this road. Contractor M V Rao who was awarded the contract should be taken to task,” said John Nazareth, former president of Goa Government Employees Union.

He said that he will write to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari seeking an inquiry into the works and also demand action against the contractor. When contacted, Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Nilesh Cabral claimed that the cracks developed were not major, but just minor ones.

“The particular road has not been handed to the Goa government yet for maintenance. The defect liability period (DLP) is of four years and the contractor, as per DLP clauses, must maintain the road. I am told that repair works are being taken up by the contractor and as per the information available to me, the cracks are not major,” Cabral said.

“You can’t blame the contractor for that as when the road was constructed, it was not totally closed for vehicular traffic. In other states, when such works are undertaken, the entire stretch is closed for vehicles. Officers of National Highways Authority of India keep a check on these roads. At the end of the four-year DLP, when they hand over the road to us, we will inspect and see the condition of the road. Anyway, I will check the present condition of the road,” Cabral added.