PANJIM: After facing severe heat from citizens and businessmen on the shoddy and haphazard smart city works and the possibility of flooding in the State’s capital city during monsoon, the government on Thursday at last admitted to the slow pace of the works and was compelled to replace the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Ltd (IPSCDL) to oversee the ongoing works to ensure that they are completed at the earliest.
But the verdict of the people is; the damage has been done (SEE BOX)
Secretary Housing, Sanjit Rodrigues, has been given additional charge IPSCDL and North Goa Collector Mamu Hage has been relieved from these top two posts.
“For long, I was expecting changes (in the execution of Smart City works) but things didn’t move forward as desired. Sanjit is an experienced officer who in the past has handled projects in Panjim implemented through CCP, GSIDC and AMRUT Mission. Sanjit is well-versed with everything in Panjim and these are the reasons why we have given him the charge as MD and CEO of IPSCDL,” Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said during his interaction with media persons after reviewing the Smart City Works.
Sawant informed that he has given instructions to contractors to rope in additional labourers and work round-the-clock in three shifts and finish the all ongoing works of Smart City by June 15.
“All major ongoing works will be completed by June 8, and thereafter the work of hot-mixing of roads and restoration will be undertaken by the contractors. No new roads will be dug; the work of existing roads, which have been dug, will be completed by laying all utility lines including sewer lines. Fear has been expressed over the possibility of certain roads sinking during the monsoon because of major works undertaken to lay sewer lines, on these front precautions will be taken,” he assured.
The move has certainly evoked mixed reactions from the residents as they said the new CEO of IPSCDL doesn’t have enough time for damage control as the monsoon is just a fortnight away.
“He can’t perform miracles now, better late than never he will do a good job only when the monsoon subsides,” Former Mayor and senior-most councillor, Surendra Furtado said.
Former CCP Councillor Menino da Cruz that the Chief Minister’s statement that the Smart City work has not progressed as per his expectation shows that he has failed to deliver to the people of Panjim and to the people of Goa.
