PANAJI
While the Old Goa police have registered a criminal case against the Smart City’s service agency, Bansal InfraProjects Pvt Ltd, in connection with a fatal incident; the Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL) has still decided to proceed with the same firm for the ongoing Ribandar project.
No separate inquiry has either been ordered.
The work involving the laying of sewerage pipelines as part of the ‘Development of Smart Ribandar Project’ saw the death of a 28-year-old labourer from Bihar, Angad Kumar on Monday.
The victim lost his life while working on the sewer pipeline and despite rescue efforts by the fire personnel, Kumar did not respond to cardiopulmonary resuscitation and was declared dead upon arrival at GMC.
It was evident, as per witnesses, that the site officials had not ensured whether their workers were equipped with safety gear.
Despite this, the IPSCDL has preferred to stay with the firm, at least until a police report.
“We have reviewed the circumstances of the incident but our work will not be stopped. The firm will continue to hold the responsibility of the project until concerned agencies (police) submit their (inquiry) reports,” a senior Smart City official told The Goan.
The agency is also not facing any internal inquiry as the IPSCDL is, for now, insisting on implementing safety measures for the workers on site. “We cannot allow the work to hamper except that precautionary measures need to be strictly adhered to,” he stated.
