Team Herald
MARGAO: The Margao Congress on Tuesday raised serious allegations regarding substandard work being carried out by the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) contractor for the beautification and widening of the road from the rear entrance gate of the Konkan Railway Station to Victor Hospital in Margao.
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They claimed that there was a nexus between the consultant, contractor, and politicians, leading to public funds being misused and siphoned away.
Addressing reporters, Congress functionary Savio Coutinho, along with other Margao locals including Lalan Parsekar, Lincoln Gomes, Damodar Onskar, Robert Vaz, and several residents from the area, called upon Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to intervene, and investigate the ongoing works.
Sawant, who is also the Chairman of the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC), had launched the project on May 5, 2023, promising that the town’s development would not be compromised.
Coutinho alleged that the contractor was executing substandard work that did not conform to the approved specifications as he pointed out discrepancies in the construction of drains and the use of subpar materials.
According to Coutinho, the specifications in the tender indicated that RCC slabs were to be cast on top of the drains, but in reality, only ready-made RCC slabs were being placed on top. Additionally, he pointed out that the RCC walls being constructed were not 15 cm thick, as specified in the tender documents.
Further, Coutinho revealed that, through an RTI request, they had discovered a deviation in the depth of excavation of the project.
He also mentioned that this additional excavation led to revisions in the quantum of work, which in turn added to the cost of the project.
The Congress team demanded strict action against the consultant for certifying the substandard work.
