The recent fatalities of two individuals within three months have awakened city officials in Panjim. CCP Mayor Rohit Monserrate and the Traffic Police Inspector (PI) conducted a comprehensive inspection of the ongoing Smart City projects on Friday.
CCP Mayor Rohit Monseratte warned of filing police complaints against contractors erring causing serious incidents in Smart City Panjim.
“Now, we've got to be out continuously to make sure that such things don’t happen. Therefore, whenever there are violations, I have told the engineers to write reports and send them to CM's office & the PC's office. I have told the smart city officials to start fining these contractors. Now, I have told the Smart City commissioner, that if we can file police complaints, we will do that. Enough is enough,” said Monserrate.
Monserrate expressed his dismay over the need for tragedies to instigate action, emphasising the necessity for continuous vigilance to prevent such occurrences.
"Many react only after a tragic incident," stated Monserrate, stressing the importance of proactive measures.
Addressing safety concerns, the Mayor criticized inadequate measures taken by contractors, issuing a two-day ultimatum for comprehensive safety compliance. "Mere barricades and tapes won't suffice; corrective measures on edges and basic safety protocols must be strictly adhered to," Monserrate underscored.
Expressing his empathy as a parent, Monserrate condemned the loss of young lives and warned, "“If something like this had to happen to my child, I would have buried the contractor in the same hole.”
Highlighting traffic disruptions caused by Smart City works, Monserrate attributed part of the issue to poor reinstatement work on roads, causing significant traffic disturbances. He stressed the urgency for rectification to ensure proper restoration of the road network. “Now, the smart city contractors have broken all the roads, causing major traffic issues. Their reinstatement work is also horrible, now we have to make sure everything is done properly, there are many contractors and each have their own plans,” said Monserrate.
The tragedies involved the loss of 28-year-old Angad Kumar, a labourer trapped under soil at a Ribandar Smart City site on October 17, and 21-year-old Ayush Halarnkar, who lost his life falling into a trench while riding his bike on January 1.