PANJIM: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday blamed the former consultant for the mess created in the city due to the execution of Smart City projects.
Speaking to reporters after inspecting the ongoing work in the city, the Chief Minister said, “Wrong consultant was selected. Now we are working with an in-house consultant.”
He said the Portuguese era sewerage systems and water levels are posing a challenge. However, he said that the works are being carried out keeping convenience of citizens over the next 25 years in mind.
Stating that 90 per cent of the work is complete, he said connectivity, drainage and desilting work will be taken up over the next two-three days.
Though the CM said that work on 18th June Road and Atmaram Borkar Road will be taken up later, he refrained from giving any specific timeline.
He said it cannot be denied that issues may crop up but the contractors who are executing the projects will be made to rectify the issues.
“ There was flaws in the design of the Smart city bus stops and they will be rectified,” assured Sawant
Stating that manholes and sewerage pipelines in the city have been completed, the Chief Minister urged the residents of the city to get connected to the new sewerage system as soon as possible.
He also said that close to 58 sewage pipelines have been released by residents and establishments in the St Inez creek and added that if the residents don’t stop sewage discharge in the creek and do not get connected to the new sewerage line, their electricity and water connections will be disconnected.
To a question, the Chief Minister said that efforts are being to make sure that the city does not get flooded during the monsoon season.
According to the Chief Minister, water which enters the city during high tide in the monsoon remains inside due to issues with storm water drainage which causes flooding in the city.
He, however, said that Water and Resources Department (WRD) is planning to desilt some parts of Mandovi river.
However, the residents of the city did not appear to be happy with the work carrying out by IPSCDL as they claimed that the work is being completed in a hasty and substandard manner.
Former Corporation of the City of Panaji Mayor Uday Madkaikar said that with the Chief Minister blaming former consultant, he has been proved correct.
“This is what I have been talking for the last two years. I have been demanding that action should be taken against the consultant as huge amount of money has been paid to him. The amount should be recovered and a criminal case should be filed against him. He should also be blacklisted. It is because of him that Panjim people are suffering. He has not been seen on the ground for the last two years,” Madkaikar said.
Santosh Kuncalienkar, proprietor of a shop in St Inez, said, “My shop has been closed for the last three months. The work on this stretch is very slow. The contractor does not have much labour nor does he has the experience otherwise the work could have been completed long back.”
Wilson D’Sousa, a Ribandar resident, said, “Why did they submit in the High Court that work will be completed by May 31. They should have told the court that it is not possible for them to complete the work by then. The work being done is substandard and I just don’t know what 90 per cent work has been done.”
