On a day when heavy rains lashed the State flooding roads, inundating low-lying areas and further exposing the crumbled road infrastructure, we saw the PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral photographed with an umbrella in tow accompanied by his aides, briskly walking over the deck inspecting the progress of the new Zuari bridge. That’s some showmanship because the weather was indeed stormy. On the flip side, roads elsewhere were crumbling, the potholes were turning into craters with the bitumen layer of roads being wiped off in several places. More than checking on the progress of the bridge, the road infrastructure needed attention as a priority.
With great pomp, it was announced that the new iconic Zuari bridge will be opened in September. One may ask, was that a priority? There are half-a-dozen deadlines that have been missed till now, and not a soul has been pained over those. Goans are ready to take missed deadlines in their stride, not the pathetic roads because that affects day-to-day commute and puts lives in peril. The potholes and washed-out roads are too serious issues for the common man that their attention cannot be diverted by the grandiose announcement of the Zuari bridge opening.
Incidentally and rather curiously, directions have been issued to suspend the licence of a road contractor for two years for shoddy work on the recently hot-mixed roads from Divya Circle to the Secretariat and Miramar. The question that needs to be asked is, why is only one contractor picked up? Was this to pacify the Panaji MLA, or is it to justify that some action has been taken? What about other road works?
Selectively targetting contractors will not remedy the overall situation which has been worsening every passing shower. Suspension is fine, but take stock of all such contractors whose works have been of sub-standard quality. Also, suspend all those PWD officials who were in charge of quality checks, and who have approved the works. Names of those contractors who violate the Defect Liability Period have to be in the public domain because this is nothing but a fraud on public money. Taxpayers need better roads and at least basic facilities. Thirdly, the government must ensure that black-listed contractors are not allowed to participate in tenders on fictitious names, or by using names of their kin.
The PWD minister may have started cracking the whip, however, the intentions are far from convincing, because bigger contractors are going scot-free. The PWD has turned Nelson’s eye to the pitiable condition of the newly laid highways and surfaces of flyovers. Why has the PWD minister not inspected these, and why is there no stock-taking and action here?
Crumbling road infrastructure has been a constant feature in Goa, and despite the furious assurance by the chief minister last year and the installation of a new PWD minister, nothing has changed. In fact, the road infrastructure has gone from bad to worse.
While the State is going through a metamorphosis on land with land-grab and illegal land conversions taking centre stage, the government cannot be oblivious to the pathetic infrastructure that is taking shape in the name of 'Vikas'.
