team herald
The multi level parking facility at the Panjim jetty is missing deadline after deadline. The facility near Santa Monica jetty was supposed to have been completed by March-April this 2015 but work was halted due to non-payment of dues to the contractor. The contractor, Venkatrao Infra Projects Pvt Ltd, had said that bills of Rs 10 crore were pending.
At the same time the GTDC is nowhere near commencing the much awaiting and critical feeder service, the hop on hop of buses, which were supposed to function as a link service. “A person can avail of a free bus ride provided he/she possesses the parking fee ticket. Routes are being worked out in consultation with concerned agencies and experts in the field… This will ensure revenue generation and smooth vehicle movement. It will also increase scope for parking space,” GTDC Chairman Nilesh Cabral said.
What Cabral does not answer is where will the person with the parking ticket go if there is no hop on hop off service in place when the parking facility comes up.
Local MLA Siddharth Kunkalienkar, who is amongst the panelists to design the plan, had recently told Herald that casino visitors could also use the multi-level parking facility and subsequently use the new transport option. That seems to be a distant dream now given that the hop on hop off service currently on a full stop
The Pune-based M/s Prasanna Purple Mobility Pvt Ltd had, last year obtained the Letter of Interest for operations, for tourism purposes. The agency’s initial plan is to ply four buses. “Non-availability of necessary permission/s to ply the double-decker buses has delayed the project. Permission can be granted either by Goa transport department under special permission or if the central government issues bus body codes for the buses,” company official Rohit Pardesi told Herald in an email interview.
The GTDC though has submitted a request letter to the ministry with a copy to Central Institute of Road Department in September 2015, in a bid to expedite the funding.
Meanwhile the Santa Monica Jetty which was also expected to help in the transportation needs of the city is awaiting completion.
The jetty and the yet-to-be-constructed terminal are estimated at Rs 22 crore approximately. The renovation of the jetty comprising of a bus parking facility and other areas was complete some time back but GTDC’s hassle was availability of government funds for construction of the terminal. That begs the question. Why was the project allowed to take off without the government funds being committed? The GTDC Chairman, conceding the delay, has assured that the structure would be complete in another month’s time while the renovation/upgradation of the Santa Monica jetty faces financial shortage. “We have released a tender to take up the (Santa Monica) project on public-private-partnership mode,” he said.
Cabral said the inclusion of a private player will boost the economy of the government and encourage local entrepreneurs to set up business. The project is expected to be awarded on 11 or 22 years lease.
But the fact remains is that this was an afterthought and the lack of funds has delayed the project irrevocably.
