MAPUSA
With the Saligao-Pilerne road turning treacherous following the rains, local authorities have come down heavily on the Public Works Department (PWD) for failing to carry out timely and effective road repairs.
Saligao Sarpanch Lucas Remedios has openly blamed the department for the poor quality of work and for not acting before the onset of the monsoon.
“The plan to pour concrete on the broken road is of no use now. Because of the rains, the concrete does not take a grip on the road,” Remedios said, adding that such repair work should have been completed before May 15, well before the monsoon set in.
He pointed out that the temporary measures adopted by the PWD to make the road motorable were ineffective and short-lived. “It was like water on a duck’s back,” he remarked, expressing frustration over the repeated failures to address the issue.
Acknowledging the public’s concern, Remedios did not hold back on criticising the wasteful expenditure. “Yes, public money has gone to waste. It’s our money – the taxpayers’ money – which must be utilised judiciously,” he said.
He also questioned the department’s lack of urgency during a dry spell earlier this month when the monsoon had taken a brief break. “They could have used that window to take up the work on priority, but nothing was done,” he said.
