PORVORIM: The Opposition benches on Tuesday grilled the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant over the inordinate delays in completing various infrastructure projects by the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) leading to cost overruns.
Stating that two-long years of pandemic and its subsequent financial constraints, failures on part of contractors are some of the reasons for delays in completion of work, Sawant admitted that work delays have led to large scale escalation of project costs.
The Opposition members listed out several projects from Ravindra Bhavan, IITs, District Court at Merces to office buildings and bridges which are delayed for several years.
Congress MLA Digambar Kamat, who tabled the question, told House that the whole purpose of setting up of GSIDC under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister was to complete projects within stipulated time.
“GSIDC has failed in its objective…several projects, work of which were commissioned five to six years back, are not even half way,” he said.
The Chief Minister assured the House to take up projects nearing completion and those needed priority, first. He said that educational institution projects will be given top priority.
As per the government reply, GSIDC has taken up total 15 projects above Rs 10 crore from 2017 till date, of which only five project are completed. Also, there are 28 projects, the work of which had commenced between 2012 and 2017 and are yet to be completed.
