Asks Panaji residents to 'cooperate' in civic elections
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant with Revenue Minister Babush Monserrate after inaugurating the redevelopment of Fisherman's Wharf, under the Smart City project at Ribandar.
PANAJI
Ahead of the upcoming civic elections in the capital city, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant inaugurated multiple 'smart city' projects worth Rs 135 crore in Panaji on Friday, even as he urged citizens to compare today’s Panaji with the city five years ago to see the transformation.
He also appealed to residents to "cooperate" in the upcoming elections to the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP), which he said will further strengthen the smart city mission.
Among the projects inaugurated were the reconstructed Fishermen's wharf at Ribandar, where he also inaugurated the refurbished Ribandar Ro-Ro ferry ramp. An EV charging station at Miramar, the Smart City headquarters at Patto, the SCADA-based 24x7 water supply project for Panaji, and the Pedestrian Spine at the EDC Patto Plaza were the other projects Sawant inaugurated.
At all the inaugural events, Revenue Minister and Panaji MLA Babush Monserrate, Smart City CEO, and Managing Director Sandeep Jacques were present.
Sawant acknowledged the hardships and accidents faced by citizens during the past three years of construction work for the smart city and expressed regret. He announced that 35 projects under the Smart City initiative have now been completed.
Under the SCADA system, water will be pumped from Opa to Panaji, purified, and supplied to 3,000 households with smart meters, with another 6,000 households to be added to the project soon. He further stated that the expansion of ramps at Sao Pedro and Divar will allow Ro-Ro ferry services to begin by November, fulfilling a long-standing demand of Divar residents.
On the EV front, 18 charging stations have been operational for a month under PPP mode, enabling vehicles to run 5 lakh kilometres and reducing carbon emissions by 32 tonnes.
Panaji Smart City has already won two national awards, Sawant noted. He also highlighted environmental initiatives: new trees are being planted along the stretch from Kala Academy to Adil Shah Palace to replace those removed, with biodiversity mapping being carried out.
The Biodiversity Board will ensure the trees survive for 100 years and are properly maintained. Large-scale plantation is being undertaken to improve Panaji’s climate, he added.
The Chief Minister urged citizens to support the government and Smart City projects to make Panaji cleaner, greener, and pollution-free.
“Those who criticised earlier should walk from Ribandar to the city and compare Panaji of five years ago with today’s Panaji. We accept both praise and criticism,” he remarked.
