PANJIM: The recent fatalities of two individuals within three months have awakened the city’s civic authorities. The Mayor of the Corporation of the City of Panaji Rohit Monserrate and the Traffic Police Inspector (PI) conducted a comprehensive inspection of the ongoing Smart City projects on Friday. CCP Mayor Rohit Monseratte warned that he would file police complaints against contractors who fail to provide safety measures at the site of Smart City works, which may result in serious incidents.
Expressing his empathy as a parent, Monserrate condemned the loss of young lives and warned, “If something like this had to happen to my child, I would have buried the contractor in the same hole.”
Addressing safety concerns, the Mayor criticised inadequate measures taken by contractors, issuing a two-day ultimatum for comprehensive safety compliance. “Mere barricades and tapes won’t suffice; corrective measures on edges and basic safety protocols must be strictly adhered to,” Monserrate underscored. (Related stories on Pg 3)
The Mayor expressed his dismay over the fact that action is taken after such tragedies take place and emphasised the necessity for continuous vigilance to prevent such occurrences.
“Many react only after a tragic incident,” said Monserrate, stressing the importance of proactive measures.
Highlighting traffic disruptions caused by Smart City works, Monserrate attributed part of the issue to poor reinstatement work on roads, causing significant traffic congestion.
He stressed the urgency for rectification to ensure proper restoration of the road network. “Now, the Smart City contractors have broken all the roads, causing major traffic issues. Their reinstatement work is also horrible, now we have to make sure everything is done properly, there are many contractors and each has their own plans,” said Monserrate.
MD SMART city, Rodrigues says inquiry is on but refuses to name who is conducting it
PANJIM: Nobody knows who is conducting an inquiry into the death of 21-year-old youth at Mala-Panjim on New Year’s Day as Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Ltd (IPSCDL) chief executive officer and managing director Sanjit Rodrigues on Thursday, surprisingly declined to disclose the name of the official, even though the information is clearly in the public interest
Rodrigues just said that the inquiry is on in the Mala youth death case and the report will be ready within a couple of days without confirming who is conducting the inquiry, what are the terms of reference and what was the deadline given to complete the inquiry. He refused to accept that no measures were taken by the contractor executing works to prevent accidents at the site.
“Maybe they were inadequate but certain measures were taken. Let all the facts be brought to the notice. Wait for a couple of days, we will bring out all the facts of this incident,” Rodrigues said. “Once the report comes, we will reply to Goa Human Rights Commission which has issued a notice to us and the same will be made public,” he added.
On January 1, 2024, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that an inquiry into the incident was underway. “An inquiry is on,” he had told reporters.
