Team Herald
vasco: PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar visited Mormugao constituency on Thursday to take stock of various pending works such as Varunapuri to Sada flyover, JICA project and roads. Pauskar met Urban Development Minister and Mormugao MLA Milind Naik and discussed the acute water shortage and other issues and assured to complete them and the JICA project in particular at the earliest.
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Naik said as far as the water supply is concerned, Mormugao is located at the tail end and needs more focus to improve the situation.
Naik gave a detailed explanation about why Mormugao faces the issues, what steps had been taken to rectify the problems and what more was left to be done.
“After all the measures taken, we used to receive complaints on a regular basis from the locals and I was convinced that it was not fault of the department alone. The main reason for the shortfall was non-commissioning of 900 mm MS pipeline coming from Verna to Destero. We had a round of meeting with Engineers of PWD along with the staff of my office and we understood that unless the bridge is completed at Bogmalo across Railway track, the scenario of water supply is not going to improve,” said Naik.
“We were surprised to know that from 2013, the department was trying to get the approval of South Western Railway but all in vain. Railway was somehow not cooperating. Somewhere in March 2019, we decided to follow on regular basis and support the PWD to get the required permissions, including approval of drawings of the steel bridge structure,” he continued.
He said it took two visits by his office staff to Hubali to understand the ground reality.
“In the meantime, Union Minister for Railways came to Goa, that time along with the Chief Minister, PWD Minister, we together met him and upraised about the problems faced by residents of Mormugao taluka for want of simple permission. After his kind intervention, the approval was got in December 2019 and in the war-like situation of COVID 19 lockdown etc. the work of foundation and truss is ready and soon it will be ready,” said Naik.
At the onsite inspection by the PWD Minister, Pauskar gave directives to the officials to expeditiously complete the work.
“We are sure once this line is commissioned; the water supply scenario in not only Mormugao Constituency but also in entire Mormugao taluka is going to improve,” said Naik.
Later, while speaking to media, the PWD said the JICA project work will resume shortly. “There were some issues related to incomplete work, which will be completed soon,” said Pauskar, while acknowledging that there is acute water shortage in hilly sides of Sada region.
Pauskar further informed that the JICA project work, which is worth around Rs 3.5 crore, will be completed by this year-end.
He quickly added that their target is to complete the work by end of 2020 but considering the pandemic and labour shortage issue, the completion of work might go ahead by one or two months.
When asked about the Varunapuri to Sada flyover work, Pauskar added that it is a joint venture and the work was delayed due to the COVID pandemic. He added that the work will be completed in a year and a half.
Later, when questioned about the bad road conditions, Pauskar said the State government has received Rs 150 crore from the Centre and this fund will be utilised to tar and hotmix the entire national highway.
