PONDA: Ponda MLA Ravi Naik strongly criticised PWD Minister Ramakrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar, on Wednesday, for inaugurating the new four-lane Khandepar Bridge without completing approach road and “just for cheap publicity”.

Ravi made the remarks after inspecting the bridge on Wednesday in the presence of the media persons.

He said Rs 100 crore has already been spent on the approach road and still land has not been acquired for the same. “This is misuse of tax-payers money for vested interest,” he said.

He alleged that incomplete bridge has made Khandepar junction an accident prone zone: many accidents are taking place at the spot. He said that he would raise the issue and demand an audit of all the bridges in Assembly.

He said that in the absence of an approach road, not a single vehicle can travel on the four-lane the bridge; and vehicles are diverted from the bridge through the service road, which has made the OPA junction accidents prone.

He said that nowhere in the country an incomplete bridge was inaugurated; only Sudin has set an example of inaugurating an incomplete Khandepar bridge.

Ravi wondered whether Sudin inaugurated the bridge fearing that he would be replaced as PWD minister or that the government is going to collapse.

Meanwhile, fearing the reinforced earth (RE) wall of the elevated four-lane National Highway in Kerya might collapse, Ravi Naik demand that retaining wall be constructed in its place.

He said that concrete wall should be built in the area for the safety of houses of Kerya villagers.

Ravi said that Goa witnesses heavy monsoon resulting in heavy flow of rainwater, which in course of time, might weaken the RE-wall and consequently cause its collapse.

The villagers of Kerya-Khandepar too have been demanding a flyover in place of the reinforced earth wall.

The villagers say that the height of the RE-wall is 14-metre, as such it might collapse and cause a major disaster.