Team Herald
MARGAO: A group of social activists demanded accountability from contractors responsible for the poor conditions of roads and called for a transparent tendering process to ensure quality and reliability in future projects.
Speaking to reporters, Iftiyaz Shaikh, alongside Laurel Abranches and Mahesh Dattaram Naik, criticised the government’s faulty processes and commission-based contracts and argued that these practices have directly contributed to poor condition of the roads.
“Today, commuters and the general public are suffering for no fault of theirs. Residents continue to grapple with deep potholes and cracks and both the government and contractors concerned must be held responsible for the negligence,” Shaikh stated,
Mahesh Dattaram Naik charged that the commission-based contracts have directly contributed to the deplorable state of the roads
in Goa.
“It is an open secret that everyone is demanding percentage-based commissions from the contractors,” Naik alleged.
and called for accountability, stating that similar measures should apply to issuing challans for violations of the Motor Vehicle Act. Offences should also be registered against PWD engineers who violate the rules, he insisted. The lack of oversight has perpetuated the cycle of corruption and poor road conditions.