Oppn lashes out at delay in Atal Setu completion

Team Herald

PANJIM: The Opposition has lashed out at the Goa government over the delay in completing the two arms of Atal Setu Bridge, despite one year after it was commissioned on January 27, 2019. 

Goa Forward Party (GFP) President Vijai Sardesai and Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte took to Twitter to remind the government about the first anniversary of the cable-stayed bridge that awaits completion. “Old project & new project team? Ponda to Panjim & Mapusa arm pending for 1 year in spite of most work completed during the tenure of Ex CM (Manohar Parrikar) who had said that he would open d (the) same within 1 month! 1 year & crores of people’s money spent on this project & people can’t use the critical arm,” Sardesai reacted as he also posted photographs of the inauguration of the bridge last year. 

In fact, the former Dy CM, began his tweet asking government if there is something mischievous or secret for not completing the project. “Where’s the Ponda-Panjim/Mapusa arm of the #Atal Setu? Most of the work was over; the earlier CM said 1 month. It’s one year! Can’t even finish the little bit left? Is this because of this government’s acclaimed incompetence or is it something else? Something mischievous and secretive,” he further tweeted. 

Khaunte also took to the social media pointing at Pramod Sawnat-led government’s failure to fulfill the promise on the ambitious project. He tweeted, “It has been a year since the inauguration of Atal Setu – an ambitious project envisioned by Former CM Late Manohar Parrikar. One year later, it appears that the Sawant-led government has failed miserably at fulfilling promises made as part of the whole project construction,” he tweeted further mentioning, “repair and beautification upon completion of Atal Setu construction but there has been no sign of redevelopment on that front. Similarly, I voiced my concerns with the government on the traffic mismanagement at Sai Service junction. It has become an accident prone zone after the bridge opening due to which common man face difficulty on a daily basis. Despite me raising these issues repeatedly, we see no progress and it seems all concerns have fallen on deaf ears.”

Herald, in its Monday edition, reported about the delay and the escalation cost dispute between the contractor and the GSIDC.