SANGUEM: With Sanguem locals still wondering as to when the work of parallel bridge at Bendwada will resume, the contractor allotted with the construction work of the bridge has started moving construction material elsewhere citing one reason or another.
About a month ago, more than half of the construction material was moved by the contractor, but when inquired, it was claimed that they would replace the material with new one as the material has rusted after it remained at the site since March this year.
Similarly, the workers had claimed that the excavation machinery is taken for repairs and will be brought back to the site as soon as the repair work is done.
A few days after the contractor having started to move the machinery and material from the site, local MLA Prasad Gaonkar enquired with the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (GSIDC) over the reason for the contractor shifting the material and machinery elsewhere.
Over a fortnight back, Gaonkar had informed the people that the work of the parallel bridge at Bendwada has been restarted and even released the photos on social media showing the machinery at work at the bridge site.
However, the work was again stopped merely after four days of the same having been restarted and the same was never undertaken again. On December 24 morning, the contractor again started shifting the remaining construction material which was lying at the site elsewhere.
As the news of the contractor shifting the construction material spread in the Sanguem town area, the locals led by youth activist Meshu Da Costa rushed to the site and questioned the workers present as to why the material is being shifted to which the workers once again came with the stereotype reply of the material and machinery being shifted for repairs and the same will be replaced with new one.
However, when Da Costa questioned the workers as to why the earlier material is not yet brought back to the site, the workers had no answers. Da Costa made the workers empty the construction material which they had loaded into the vehicle and told them to get the earlier material back and then shift the remaining material for replacement.
He also told the workers that the people from Sanguem will not permit shifting of any material from the site unless the work of the bridge which was stopped since March is restarted.
Da Costa also warned the local politicians who are playing dirty games with the ongoing development works in Sanguem. The people from Sanguem will not remain silent over such dirty political games and warned the concerned politician to get ready to face the wrath from general public if any going development works stand halted by the government citing flimsy reasons.
He also informed that he along with the people from Sanguem will meet Deputy Chief Minister Chandrakant Kavalekar and brief him over the political games played in the construction of the parallel bridge at Bendwada.
