Govt may appoint new consultant and not rely on Smith’s report.
TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Braving up to the huge financial burden that would accrue from constructing a new bridge over River Zuari on its own, if the Centre fails to chip in, cost cutting exercises have begun with the PWD Ministry proposing to re-examine the Smith Consultancy report prepared way back in 2004 for a new Zuari bridge.
“We are studying the matter on whether we should go for a new consultant or rely on the Smith Consultancy report, submitted to the Goa government in 2004 for a new Zuari bridge,” said PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar on Thursday.
Dhavalikar disclosed this a day after Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar submitted that Goa will proceed with the construction of a new bridge even without central assistance.
While the nod for a six-lane bridge has been given by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, all works are on hold as the final approval which includes the financial cost sharing between the State and the Centre on 60:40 basis is still pending with the Centre for the last five months.
While Parrikar said that the Goa government will wait until June 30 for some favourable response from the Centre, the PWD minister said that it will start its ground work for the new bridge as soon as the budget session concludes.
Dhavalikar said that the chief minister had rightly unveiled plans of going ahead with the bridge work as the Centre has delayed too long in giving the final nod on the financial cost sharing.
“In fact we will start the ground work as soon as the budget session concludes in case we don’t get any feedback from the Central ministry by then,” Dhavalikar said.
“At that time the cost for a new bridge over River Zuari had been estimated at Rs 600 crore. Now, we estimate it would have doubled,” said Dhavalikar, adding that new requirements would be incorporated therein.
The new bridge along with approach roads of 200 to 300 metres at either points will be six-laned.
While the plan for road widening from Patradevi to Pollem may take a back seat for the moment, the PWD ministry is starting the process to appoint a consultant and will float tenders within a month for taking up the four-laning of the Old Goa to Panjim stretch.
This stretch with an estimated cost of Rs 125 crores is being designed with special two-wheeler lanes of 2.5 metres and is expected to be completed within two years from the date of issue of the work orders.
Dhavalikar said that this work had also been delayed and the government intends to take up this work which will set a bench mark for widening the Patradevi to Pollem stretch in the near future.
