PANJIM: It’s been eight years since Panjimites, and those visiting the capital, have been reeling under the debilitating inconvenience caused to them due to the Smart City works. Though people have vent their anger, O Heraldo has consistently exposed both the delays and the shoddy work, by the contractor under the supervision of the Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL) and Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP).
When people have raised their voice through the media, the CEO of IPSCDL, the Panjim MLA and the Chief Minister have ceremoniously visited the sites, when the clamour got louder.
Even the High Court judges have been forced to visit the sites, consequent to a PIL filed by citizens concerned.
But then new deadlines were given, the consultant blamed, and again citizens have to bear the brunt of the shoddy planning, road closures and the impending flooding during the ensuing monsoon. No one is ready to accept responsibility and the blame game goes on.
Citizens are now asking for punitive legal action against the Smart City team to offset such tardiness, lack of planning, lack of sensitivity and safety concerns of the people and repeated shifting of deadlines?
At first, May 31 deadline was given for completing all Smart City works. Then the goal post was shifted, and the Panjim MLA declared that the work would be completed in about five days. In some instances, June 10 deadline was given for the Caculo Mall to STP Tonca stretch.
Claude Alvares, senior social activist and Director of Goa Foundation said, “Now that you have gone to the High Court, the only remedy is to file a contempt petition in the High Court, against the officers concerned. There is no other option. If the contempt succeeds, they will go to jail. They have given an undertaking and court directions are there to complete the work by May 31, 2024. They have not done it. Whatever excuse they have, they had given the undertaking and now they have violated it. Now the only recourse is to go to court and file a contempt petition.”
Asked about passing of a bill to ensure accountability and fixing responsibility in public works, Alvares said, “No government is going to pass such a bill. The contractors are sharing the benefits from the projects with the politicians. So no politician is going to pass any bill where the contractor is going to be liable.”
Dattaprasad Naik, independent politician from Taleigao, said, “First, accountability should first lie with the person who has initiated the project. He may be the MLA, Minister or Chief Minister, or Mayor or councillor or sarpanch in the villages. They should ensure that the project is completed within the stipulated timeframe. Presently, they are indulging in a blame game by trying to blame former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and now the consultant. Nobody is talking about those who initiated the Smart City project. All should be booked under criminal proceedings.”
“Secondly, the contractor also should be held accountable for not adhering to the time frame and the quality of work. Such faulty projects put the life of the people in danger. The consultants cannot be blamed, but officers supervising and politicians should be held accountable. In the case of the Kala Academy too the Minister is pointing at the PWD and the PWD is absolutely silent on this issue. The PWD engineers have to be held accountable,” Naik added.
Activist Sarfaraj Ankalji reiterated, “The MLA, Minister, Chief Minister and officers should all be held accountable. They have to take strict action against the engineers and the contractor who have delayed this work and the sub-contractor. The Smart City work has been totally neglected. They have done shoddy work by digging road, laying the pipelines, tarring the road and digging again. The court and the government should take action against this waste of public money.”