Team Herald
VASCO: PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral on Saturday said that Revenue Minister Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate is right in asking for a vigilance inquiry on potholed roads.
Cabral said that he had already begun an inquiry into potholes before Monserrate highlighted the issue and demanded Vigilance inquiry.
He added that public money will not be wasted and contractors will be directed to redo the work on all the potholed roads.
Stating that Monserrate had done the right thing by demanding an inquiry, Cabral said, “I had already begun inquiry after I realised that the roads are getting spoiled and we will take all steps in this regard and initiate necessary action.”
The minister said that the government will soon get a new machine to fill the potholes and added that a first-time technology for Goa roads will be used.
He said that the PWD will also soon launch an app for the engineers regarding potholes which will be connected to the machine. This app will not be initially for public but restricted to PWD engineers to detect/spot the potholes and click photographs, which will be connected to vendors having the machine and they will dig and show the measurement and fill the pothole and make it proper or even.
“We have given 18 months to try this technology. I am just a few months old in this ministry but the Public Works Department will surely be streamlined,” Cabral said.
According to Cabral, roads are damaged due to digging works undertaken by various government departments including the PWD Water Supply Division and Electricity Department. After digging work is completed, the roads are not restored.
Cabral also appealed to the people not to dump unnecessary things in the toilet that could lead to blockages in the sewage system.
He disclosed that the NIO has donated a non-manual scavenging machine to the PWD and it will be put to use soon.
He said that the government is trying to find out reasons for the incident wherein two persons got trapped in the PWD chambers while it was being cleared due to blockage.
