Team Herald
PANJIM: The State’s capital city and its residents continue to suffer on account of the “unsmart” city works. The classic example of “ridiculous” planning by Smart City officials is the “mindless” huge triangular shape structure constructed in front of Panjim’s iconic Café Bhonsle and other
establishments.
The contractor has constructed the gigantic structure where the once triangular garden stood, which has narrowed the road to such an extent that if one vehicle is passing along the route, the other cannot pass. The construction of the structure has exposed the failure on the part of the officials to understand the city’s culture and heritage with the stakeholders and shopkeepers claiming that they were not taken into confidence.
Though the Smart City work in front of Café Bhonsle and other establishments is going on for some time, spewing dust and mud all over the shops, things took a turn for the worse on Saturday, when shop owners realised the blunders of Smart City works.
Angry shopkeepers appealed to Panjim MLA and Revenue Minister Atanasio Monserrate, who in turn contacted Smart CEO Sanjit Rodrigues and directed him to demolish the triangle.
The stakeholders complained that the structure has been built without consulting any of the shop owners whose businesses are touching the road. They said that the construction of the gigantic triangle is mindless, if one vehicle is passing on the now narrow road, another vehicle cannot pass. Additionally, the parking space has been destroyed, in a totally insensitive move.
“Today all shop owners called Revenue Minister Atanasio Monserrate and Smart City CEO Sanjit Rodrigues. We are against the gigantic triangle at Cafe Bhonsle square. We are not against any development and all shop owners are with the government. However, we want them to restore the parking and the garden as it was. Only one tanker can pass at a time on this narrow road. My underground power cable worth Rs 3.5 lakh to Rs 4 lakh was cut off and they have given me a temporary connection,” Milind Bhonsle, partner, Cafe Bhonsle said.
Photographs clicked by shop owners showed that when one tanker passes on the adjoining road, there is no space for any other vehicle to pass.
The stakeholders said that given that parking space in Panjim is at a premium, such a mindless Smart City project has further tarnished the name of the mission. The triangle in front of Café Bhonsle was an iconic spot in Panjim where people would gather every morning, have a sip of tea at the café and then read the newspapers and exchange news from food to politics by sitting on the much smaller triangle.
They said it is high time that the Smart City Mission consulted stakeholders and people in each area of Panjim to respect not only the wishes of the public, but also study the history of the city and preserve its heritage and culture, as its history dates back to the Kadamba Dynasty, way back in the 12 Century.