JULIAN D’CRUZ
PANJIM: Rs 400 crore package of development works to be carried out by the PWD in constituencies of the ruling party and its ally MLAs sanctioned by the Manohar Parrikar regime have been tendered, but the work orders have got stuck in the mire. Herald has learnt that works worth barely Rs 15 crore have been undertaken so far in the 30 Assembly constituencies all represented by the BJP or those allied with it included under the package announced last year.
While tenders have already been floated worth Rs 400 crore, work orders in 95 per cent cases are yet to be issued, especially for hot mixing, as MLAs insist on having roads tarred before the monsoons.
While the initial plan was to have the sanctioned works package completed by March 31, 2013, the deadline was extended to April but that too has come and gone. Now, with the monsoon clouds on the horizon, legislators complained to Herald that the works will be brought to a grinding halt within a few days.
The PWD Principal Chief Engineer JJS Rego, defended the PWD that was to carry out the works stating: “All the list of proposals came together and most of the requests were for hot mixing of the roads before the monsoons. The hot mix plant is unable to meet such a huge demand at one time,” he said. Rego confirmed that works worth about Rs 400 crore had been tendered though in some cases expenditure sanctions are still awaited.
He added that usually the hot mix plant is closed by May 15 but in case of a delay in the onset of the monsoons it is allowed to continue in a bid to cater to road repairs and reinstatement. With the monsoon expected on-time by the Met department this year, how the PWD would manage to cope with the MLAs’ list of works is the big question, and one to which Rego did not have a reply. He did, however, point out that “at least one or two works in each of the constituencies of the MLAs has been undertaken”. One MLA from South Goa, however, rebutted this claim: “Forget the work order, not a single tender has been issued for works in my constituency.” Another ruling party MLA from North Goa added: “We announced with great fanfare to our constituents that such a novel development package had been sanctioned by the CM; now, we have no answers for them when they ask about the works.”
Herald spoke to a cross-section of MLAs who were all unhappy over the delay in execution of works. One of them pointed out that the package was for the financial year 2012-2013 and expressed concern over the fate of the package now that the new financial year (2013-2014) has begun. In fact, many MLAs submitted proposals for works more than the Rs 15 crore allocated to each of them. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, whose government is facing a financial crunch, insisted that the package would not exceed Rs 15 crore per constituency. Some small constituencies were clubbed together for the purpose of funding development works. The package was announced last year for MLAs from the ruling BJP (21), its allies MGP (3) and GVP (2) and Independents (excluding the Fatorda MLA).
Nilesh Cabral of the BJP when contacted told Herald: “The functioning of the PWD department is so pathetic that nothing is moving at their end. We actually have to appoint two people to follow up on the files as if it is our personal work.”
All the list of proposals came together and most of the requests were for hot mixing of the roads before the monsoons. The hot mix plant is unable to meet such a huge demand at one time.
– PWD Principal Chief Engineer JJS Rego
