the goan I network
Panaji
The Panaji garden next to Geeta Bakery which the Corporation of the City of Panjim (CCP) twice attempted to complete unsuccessfully, has finally been completed by the Goa State Infrastructural Development Corporation (GSIDC) and was inaugurated on Thursday by both GSIDC and CCP officials.
A good Rs 96 lakh has been spent on the garden till date, with the final figure to be known with a few days, said a GSIDC official. Of the Rs 96 lakh, Rs 76 lakh came from the Members of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) scheme, with the remaining Rs 20 lakh pumped in by the state government.
Speaking at the garden’s inauguration vice-chairperson of GSIDC Sidharth Kuncalienkar said that the it would soon be Wi-Fi-enabled.
The total area of 1,890 square meters of the garden has been ‘beautified’ by contractors M/s Gurudutta gardeners and developers, with design by architect M/s Bhaskar Wagle and Associates, and overseen by consultants M/s Nitin Arolkar. The work order was issued by the contractor on December 29, 2016.
Two curtain fountains welcome one at the entrance of the garden, followed by a fountain with a tilted granite basin soon after. Granite seats are spread out across the garden, and information provided by GSIDC states that there are 36 different types of plants in the garden, although most of the ground space has been concretised.
At the end of the garden is a granite wall with the map of Goa embossed, and a torch, that is a symbol for Goa’s freedom struggle. Decorative illumination is provided throughout the garden.
While Kuncalienkar represented the GSIDC at the inaugural, Panaji mayor Vithal Chopdekar, and other CCP councillors were also in attendance.
The garden will be maintained by the CCP,
Kuncalienkar said.
