SANGUEM
Residents of Sanguem have appealed to the State government to complete construction work of the five-lane parallel bridge under construction at Dando at the earliest, failing which they have threatened to protest.
Work to construct the bridge began in 2019 shortly after laying the foundation stone, but the work was stopped on account of the Covid pandemic.
However even after the pandemic subsided, authorities failed to resume work on the bridge, prompting former MLA Prasad Gaonkar to make several representations to the chief minister. It was only after persistent efforts of Gaonkar that work was restarted in late 2020, but it moved at snail’s pace.
In 2021, work got halted and the contractor reportedly made moves to shift the construction machinery elsewhere. This angered residents in Sanguem who protested and demanded the immediate completion of construction work.
Work was then again halted for some time and restarted only after residents threatened to agitate again.
The work is now stopped all again and the contractor who has got another construction work elsewhere has moved the machinery and workforce. Residents now doubt if the bridge, which was scheduled to be completed by the end of May 2024, can be completed within the stipulated period.
Residents led by Councillor Messiah D’Costa have now once again threatened to lead an agitation if the GSIDC fails to resume work within a fortnight.
