OLD GOA: After the absolute fiasco of the Miramar-Dona Paula Road, the construction of the 200 metre long flyover branching off from the Old Goa-Panjim bypass is an absolute eyesore. To make matters worse the excavation work near the Chimbel junction has broken fresh ground. Herald, during a spot inspection on Thursday found out that the two fully constructed pillars at the junction were broken with an excavator in the middle of the pit, undertaking the breaking work. In addition, debris strewn around the area hadn’t been cleared.
When Herald contacted Prasad Rao Director of M Venkata Rao the head of the construction firm handling this project, he shockingly said that “demolishing of the pillars is a part of construction”. He said that almost 75% of the total work is completed and if the power cables to EDC have been removed from the Merces circle then the entire work can be completed within four months.
He said that the cables have not been removed despite repeated requests over a year.
This obviously begs the question, “Why can’t different arms of the government get their act together?
Secondly, if destroying pillars is a part of construction the contractor must make available details of all the road projects where pillars after being constructed have been broken and if these are built into project costs.
It may be recalled that the expansion of the bypass road had started in the month of October 2014 on the eve of exposition of the Sacred Relics of St Francis Xavier at Old Goa. A 200-metre long flyover will be built along the bypass and the adjacent 13-metre underpass.
