PONDA: Ignoring Ponda Municipal Council’s (PMC) decision to revoke its resolution permitting PWD to undertake beautification work of Kranti Maidan at Ponda, the PWD contractor has not stopped the work and instead, the work is going on at full steam.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is expected to visit Ponda on October 19, to resolve the Kranti Maidan issue, which has divided the PMC and the MGP.
According to Jagdhish Bhat, contractor of Kranti Maidan work, there is a slight change in the plan. “The pillars which were supposed to be constructed in the centre will be shifted to one side of the Kranti Maidan wall, while laying of foundations for about 16 pillars has commenced,” informed Bhat.
PWD had awarded the work order and the work commenced last year at an estimated cost of more than Rs 3 crore. Later, PMC revoked its earlier decision stating that the work was not as per the resolution which was passed last year allowing PWD to undertake beautification work of Kranti Maidan.
According to PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar, PMC’s decision to oppose the work is based on political grounds and it cannot take such a decision after work has already commenced.
It may be recalled that Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar laid the foundation stone on December 18, 2013, in the presence of PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar, Ponda MLA Lavoo Mamletdar, PMC Chairperson Radhika Naik, councillors and freedom fighters.
