Team Herald
PANJIM: The mystery of the promised Rs 10 lakh compensation grows thicker by the day. A day after Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho promised the generous sum as compensation for all four road death victims due to Smart City work, his colleague in government, Revenue Minister and Panjim MLA Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate, clarified that he had no clue how provision for the money would be made.
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“I don’t know on what basis he (Mauvin Godinho) made the statement (about Rs 10 lakh compensation). No meeting of the Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited has taken place after the new Chief Secretary has taken charge. To my knowledge, there is no proposal like this,” said Monserrate to O Heraldo. While the Chief Secretary is the Chairman of the IPSCDL Board, Monserrate is an ex-officio member as the local MLA.
Godinho first made the promise of such a large compensation after the death of Emidio Monteiro, who fell into a ditch with his two-wheeler in Ribandar about two weeks back on a stretch dug up due to Smart City work. On Thursday, he said: “Once I say something, I see that it reaches its logical end. With the recommendation of the State Road Safety Council, I will see how to figure it out. If required, I will bring it to the Cabinet.”
Monserrate pointed out that Rs 2 lakh was already being given to the families of road accident victims under The Goa State Compensation to Road Accident Victims Scheme. “I think Mauvin Godinho made a general statement about increasing the compensation amount for accident victims.”
Smart City work in and around Panjim has been a cause for civic concern for residents for over a year. Four people have lost their lives since October 2023 at different areas where Smart City work has been happening. Of the four, only the family of Arti Gond, who died on July 23 this year after a tree made unstable by the construction work fell on her near Garcia de Orta, has received a compensation of Rs 2 lakh.
