PANJIM: The BJP Goa has rubbished Congress’ claims the coalition government is in a haste to inaugurate the incomplete cable-stayed Mandovi Bridge on January 12. The party has accused the Opposition of being a ‘NH robber’ for cheating the State by building bridges at different places in the State.
“No work of the BJP is incomplete. In fact, besides taking up a new project for Goa’s development, we have been completing the work left half-way by the Congress. In the case of new Mandovi Bridge, we never decided any inaugural date but only spoke about the work completion period,” Urban Development Minister Milind Naik told a press conference in the party office on Monday.
The party’s reaction comes following a series of allegations levelled by the Congress President Girish Chodankar on how the government is in a haste to inaugurate the incomplete bridge in view of the Lok Sabha elections due this year and scam related to the illumination of the bridge. The party has also planned to stop the inauguration.
GSIDC Vice Chairman Siddhart Kunkalienkar, backed the minister’s statement the government did not announce the inaugural date while challenging the Congress to stop the ceremony, scheduled only after the work’s completion. “The bridge will be ready by January 10 or 12, except for the Ponda arm. Nearly 1,100 men are working in three shifts for the completion of the bridge. Around 50 engineers of the L&T, GSIDC, IIT Chennai and consultants are on the job round the clock,” he asserted. “Once the Bridge is ready, we will set a date for inauguration,” he added assuring a media trip to the bridge during the testing.
Asked about the cost of the project, Kunkalienkar said the total amount increased from Rs 403 crore to Rs 483 crores. Responding to allegations by Chodankar the illumination of around Rs 30 crore was awarded without following the tender process, the former Panjim MLA clarified the lighting contract is within the scope of the L&T. “They approve the list as the lighting contract is in the scope of L&T. The work order is issued by them and not the GSIDC,” he stated slamming the Congress for ‘making it a business to object’ every project initiated by the BJP.
