Team Herald
PANJIM: As expected, the Smart City Mission has failed for the seventh consecutive year with Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited ((IPSCDL) failing to live up to people’s expectations, by not meeting the March 31 deadline set by the High Court of Bombay at Goa to complete the works and provide the much-needed relief to city residents, who have been forced to undergo severe hardships for no fault of theirs.
On Sunday, O Heraldo on the ground investigations revealed that the situation is chaotic and messed up. It was found that works along roads such as Rua de Ourem, Dr Pandurang Pissurlekar Road and 18th June Road have not yet commenced. The trench near Don Bosco Higher Secondary School has been covered with mud, but has been shoddily tarred. To add to the residents’ woes, the Y junction at St Inez is incomplete and the road at Taad Maad, St Inez continues to be in the deplorable condition with the workers executing the works stating that it would take at least 10 ten days to construct more chambers. In Bhatlem, the ongoing work is being executed in a haphazard manner.
Major intersections including the one from Cafe Bhonsle to Mascarenhas Building are left open with poorly patch work and incomplete drainage system. The roads which are left incomplete include General Bernardo Guedes road (from municipal market to Geeta Bakery), M G Road (Mascarenhas building, Delhi Darbar, Hotel Vinanti), Atmaram Borkar Road (EDC Limited, behind Goa College of Pharmacy), and Rua Ismael Gracias (near Signal Training Centre).
“The Mission has been getting multiple requests from some States/City government representatives, to grant some more time to complete the balance 10 per cent projects. These balance ongoing projects are in an advanced stage of implementation and got delayed due to various on-ground conditions. It is in the interest of people that these projects get complete and contribute towards the ease of living in their urban areas. Taking cognisance of these requests, the Government of India has extended the Mission period upto March 31, 2025 to complete these balance 10 per cent projects. This extension has been informed to the cities that it would be without any additional cost, beyond the already approved financial allocation under the Mission. All ongoing projects are now expected to be completed before March 31 2025,” a statement from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs said.
Chryselle Dias, a Panjim resident said, “Smart City work has been abandoned opposite the Head Post Office causing major inconvenience and health issues to residents. No workers have been seen for almost a month. Controversial footpath has been left incomplete without drainage which will result in rainwater accumulation in the parking area. Pavers have been dumped right in front of the “ramp”, preventing residents from getting in and out. The cement dust from the abandoned work is causing dust pollution with the “islands” created for landscaping causing severe respiratory issues. Requests to Smart City to finish the work have gone unheeded, despite being in the immediate vicinity of their office.”
Sanjay Sarmalkar, another resident, said, “I do not know why “unrealistic” deadlines are being set when the Smart City authorities know that the works will take at least three years to complete. They are under pressure and carrying out substandard work.”
Sangita Parab said, “I do not know when the work will be ready. Roads are being dug, re-dug without informing us. What to do?”
On the condition of anonymity, a businesswoman said, “We are fed up with these works. Already there is decline in customers and these works of digging up roads and trenches in front of the shops are adding salt to injuries.”
Though IPSCDL has not released latest update on the completed and remaining projects under the Smart City Mission, in February this year, the special purpose vehicle had said that in Central Panjim, the roadworks are being carried out in multiple phases and while a total of 3,400 metres of roads have been completed, 3,450 metres are pending.
Recently, Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu had informed the Rajya Sabha that challenges encountered in implementing projects including inter alia, delay in obtaining clearances from different departments, land acquisition, groundwater issues, seasonal rains and others were some of the reasons for the delay in completing the Smart City works in Panjim.
In response to a question tabled by MP Sadanand Shet Tanavade, the minister said that besides the above reasons, challenges in vendor and resource avail-ability in the city and the procurement of construction material were the other reasons for the delay. It was informed that as on March 4, 2025, the IPSCDL has been able to claim Central financial assistance of Rs 441 crore under Smart Cities Mission, out of which Rs 411 crore have been utilised. Also IPSCDL has undertaken 51 projects amounting to Rs 1,051 crore, out of which 42 projects amounting to Rs 849 crore have been completed. Nine projects amounting to Rs 202 crore are ongoing.