TEAM HERALD
OLD GOA: It’s been nearly seven years since the major roads in St Cruz constituency were hot-mixed, but the recent activity of filling potholes and patch-up work raised hopes that the roads would be hot-mixed soon.
However, information from reliable sources inside the PWD has poured cold water on these hopes as they said that there were no takers for the tender floated for hot-mixing roads in St Cruz constituency.
The source informed that the contractors are refusing to bid for fresh tenders since the government is yet to pay their pending bills.
“In the case of St Cruz constituency, the tender was floated for the first time, but in neighbouring St Andre constituency which is ruled by a BJP MLA, the tender for hot-mixing roads was floated three times and there were no bidders,” the source stated while adding that the situation prevails in other parts of the State as well, as contractors do not wish to take risk.
The source added that fresh tenders would be floated again and the hot-mixing works on roads in St Cruz and other areas will begin only after contractors bid for it, which is unlikely to happen if the pending bills are not cleared.
When apprised of the situation, St Cruz MLA Atanasio Monserrate expressed helplessness in the matter as the situation has arisen because the government does not have the money to pay the bills.
“In Taleigao too, despite completion of the work on laying the sewerage pipeline, the PWD is yet to do the asphalting work,” Monserrate complained while stating that there is lack of co-ordination within the PWD which is adding to the delay.
“As far as St Cruz constituency is concerned, several internal roads have been hot-mixed, particularly in villages of Santa Cruz and Merces,” Monserrate informed and said he will take up the issue with PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar so that hot-mixing of major roads in the constituency is taken up at the earliest.
