The new South Goa Collectorate works commissioned by theprevious Chief Minister Digambar Kamat and works being carried out by the GoaState Infrastructure Development corporation has faced maximum flake since the30-month project has already jumped into 60 months and is far from beingcomplete.
The project which is now pegged at Rs 140 crores from itsoriginal proposed costing of Rs 80 crores has gone changes in the plan numeroustimes and has been stalled at various stages due to financial crunches.
“ Initially the project included eight counting halls thatwould stay shut whenever there are no elections and also the original plan didnot have provisions for underground parking but in two separate changes in theplan, the latter in the previous government’s tenure and the former untilrecently where we decided to bring the revenue department, land survey offices,sub-registrar, DRDA and BDo offices into this complex which means morefurnitures and fittings are required which has delayed the project by a fewmonths,” stated Sanjith Rodrigues, GSIDC Managing Director
When pointed out that carpentary, masonary, centralizedair-conditioning works, networking and electrical wiring works, plumbing andpainting are taking place simultaneously which could jeopardize or damagecertain structures, Sanjith stated, “If each contractor works separately, thebuilding will take more than ten years to complete and priority now on me is tocomplete the building immediately and throw it open to the public,” stated MrSanjith Rodrigues.
“We have finished most of our masonary works. We cancomplete all works by November end and we are confidant of handing over thebuilding keeping a minimal of our staff to carry out minor repairs after that,”stated M.Venkat Rao Infra Constructions CEO, Mr Pandurang Kantak.
In order to make maximum use of the new collectorate theChief Minister had instructed that most offices should be accommodated in thenew South Goa Collectorate. He also plans to auction off all government officepremises in the SGPDA as the RTO and other offices in which are slated to bemoved into the old Collectorate building. (OLD OR NEW??)
Parrikar has directed GSIDC to raise over Rs 120 crores fromauctioning of government offices vacated, so that most of the Rs 140 burden ofthe new building is covered.
South Goa Collector, Mr N D Agarwal stated, “We want maximumutilization of the new building and let the government decide what to do withthe empty spaces left behind after these government ofices move, so that hugerevenue is generated to make up the cost of the new Collectorate building.”
But the newly constructed building is a sight similar to theCommon Wealth Games Infrastructure at New Delhi with new bath and toiletfitting and furnished walls covered with paan and supari stains while woodenfittings, false ceilings and granite tiles are damaged by the variouscontractors working simultaneously.
We have assured the Goa government completely sanitize and cleanthe place before handing over in the next few weeks before November end,” Kantak defended
