PANJIM: After many delays, Goa Tourism Development
Corporation’s (GTDC) multilevel car park facility near Santa Monica jetty will
be finally thrown open this weekend, with Union Defence Minister Manohar
Parrikar slated to inaugurate it.
Built on 13,556.45 sq m, the parking facility has four
floors, including the terrace where 87 cars can be parked at a time. In
addition to parking spaces for 550 cars inside the building, 33 cars can be accommodated
in the open space outside the building.
Speaking to Herald, GTDC chairman Nilesh Cabral said
Parrikar would be in Goa this weekend and hence it has been decided to
inaugurate the facility either on Saturday or Sunday.
“The construction of the car park fell behind schedule due
to a fund crunch, and on more than two occasions the contractor stopped work
due to non-payment of his dues, and resumed work only after his bills were
cleared,” Cabral said adding that the Rs 45 crore project was built with
funding from the Central government.
GTDC on May 9 had a soft launch of the project, which has
been developed under the ‘Integrated Development of Infrastructure for Heritage
and Hinterland Tourism’. The project had started about two and half years ago by
project consultant Lotus Environments, Pune and contractor M VenKata Rao Infra
Projects Pvt Ltd.
GTDC will charge Rs 10 for two-wheelers and Rs 20 for
four-wheelers for the first four hours. Charges after that would be on per hour
concept. “For now, GTDC will collect parking fees by deploying its workers. We
have already invited a tender and the same will be floated soon,” Cabral said.
GTDC proposes to construct similar facilities at Calangute,
Anjuna and Colva, through Central funding.
