the goan I network
MARGAO
Will the government commission the long-delayed South Goa district hospital in the next six months or will the people of South Goa have to wait for the new year for the project to see light of the day?
This question came to the fore on Monday after Chief Minister Pramod Sawant failed to set any deadline for the inauguration of the South Goa district hospital. When the media sought to know the status of the under construction hospital for over nine years now, the Chief Minister only said the Goa State infrastructure Development Corporation has been told to expedite the project.
When specifically asked whether he has set any deadline for the inauguration of the project, the Chief Minster replied with a firm no, saying he would have to check up with the GSIDC officials on the status of the work before setting any deadline.
“Work on the project is presently underway. The GSIDC at the last Board meeting has assured to complete the project at the earliest. The process of recruiting the medical and para-medical staff will also commence,” he said, while asserting he cannot set any deadline for the completion of the project.
Work on the South Goa district hospital project had commenced during the Congress government headed by former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat. The work, however, came to a halt after the Manohar Parrikar government assumed office post-2012 Assembly election. And, though the Parrikar government finally gave the nod for the resumption of work on the hospital project, the work just dragged on for the last seven years.
Hopes were raised post-2017 Assembly election that the hospital project would soon see light of the day after the Goa Forward Party headed by TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai lent its support to the BJP-led coalition government. Sardesai had even set deadlines to inaugurate the hospital on two occasions, but in vain.
