MARGAO: The announcement of the revival of the Skybus project has triggered opposition from a group of Margao citizens. They argue that the Skybus project has already been declared unviable, resulting in the loss
of crores of rupees of public funds, particularly on the construction of the disastrous 1.6km trial track.
According to former MMC Chairperson Savio Coutinho, the project was initially introduced in 2004 by Margao MLA Digambar Kamat with significant fanfare. A 1.6km test track was constructed in Margao for the project. However, during the test run, a mishap resulted in the death of a worker, which revealed significant technical faults.
Coutinho recalled that on October 11, 2013, the then Managing Director of Konkan Railways categorically stated that the Skybus project was scrapped, and it was announced that the test track would be dismantled due to recurring expenses. “Additionally, on June 1, 2016, the Chairman and Managing Director of Konkan Railways, Sanjay Gupta, declared the project unviable, which was evident from the poor response to the global invitation for Expression of Interest,” said Coutinho.
“Despite these clear indications of the project’s impracticality, the government has decided to reintroduce the project, which citizens believe could become another financial burden on the public exchequer,” he added.
Some residents have proposed the construction of a ropeway instead. They argue that, aside from being a tourist attraction, a ropeway would facilitate quick access for Margao representatives to visit Sonsoddo, potentially leading to a faster resolution of Margao’s waste crisis.
Dr Roslyn Pereira said she was disappointed that the people of Margao are made to dream of wholesale development, but the town has hardly seen any significant progress. “During every election a new promise comes into being, the latest being ‘Model Margao’, but what model change have we seen in Margao till date?” she questioned.
