Utpal Parrikar came out all guns blazing against smart city works, lambasting Panaji MLA Atanasio alias Babush Monserrate, CCP and contractors. In a list of points of concern, Utpal called for quality audit, compliance with safety measures, completing work in time-bound phases, prioritising high-priority works and stopping all fresh road-digging.
The tone of Utpal’s was as clear as daylight. He raised issues but sounded more political than people-oriented. He charged the Panaji MLA of being incompetent, suspected a link of works to political funding and sent out a message to unseat Monserrate.
The points listed by Utpal before the managing director and Chief Executive Officer of Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL) Sanjit Rodrigues, may be genuine but this comes at a time when Panaji has literally surrendered to the pain.
Two years later, Panaji continues to be in the midst of chaos with roads being dug and re-opened haphazardly leaving motorists confused, there are gridlocks on most of the city roads, dust clouds in places and a nuisance to normal living. The worst part is that safety precautions have not been complied with and the progress of work remains inconsistent and moves at a snail’s pace.
In fact, the tragic death of a 21-year-old rider after falling into a pit in the wee hours of New Year’s Day only exposed that the basic safety precautions were being ignored. It was only two days later that caution lights were installed at pits.
There is no doubt that Monserrate’s silence on the smart city works is deafening and as a people’s representative he has failed in his responsibility. One expected Monserrate to mediate and be that crucial link between the people and contractors or the CEO. His disassociation with the project is unfortunate and does not bode well for the situation and Utpal’s comment that he doesn’t know where the local MLA and contractor is ‘sleeping' may not be completely off the track.
The question is, where was Utpal all this while when Ponjekars were struggling when pits became ‘death pits’ for citizens, when nothing seemed going to the plan, and citizens were choking? Is this the time to wake up and realise Panaji is struggling? The timing of his appearance is questionable. A public figure or a political leader cannot sit under a rock when the city is in turmoil and wake up one fine day trying to turn the issue into a political slugfest just when the State is playing the election bugle to the Lok Sabha.
After Utpal made an abortive bid during the Assembly poll of 2022, he faded into oblivion quelling the faint hopes of taking the Manohar Parrikar legacy forward. A leader has to have fire in his belly throughout, and remain committed to people’s issues 24x7. Leaders coming out from their slumber only when it suits them have no right to point fingers at those who sit quietly on the fence and watch the storm pass by.
The people of Panaji continue to endure harrowing times. Utpal, instead of holding a press conference to announce a list, should have been proactive and consistent all through this smart city journey of chaos. Questions should have been asked right through and answers sought. Manohar Parrikar would have surely done that.
