Bypass on stilts @ `160 cr? Officials confused

the goan I networkrMARGAOrPublic Works Department (PWD) Minister, Ramkrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar’s announcement that the government has accepted the demand of Salcete people to build the western bypass on stilts at a stretch of 3.5 km may ring in good news for the local populace. rHowever, National Highway officials appear to be a confused lot over the PWD Minister’s claim. While Dhavalikar had made the announcement in the presence of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar stating that the government would soon tender construction of the bypass on stilts at a cost of Rs 160 crore, NH-17 officials pointed out that a kilometre of bypass on stilts will itself cost the Centre around Rs 160 crore, and wondered how the government would foot the balance cost of the entire portion. rThat’s not all. Inquiries by The Goan have, however, revealed that the National Highway Authority has agreed in-principle to build the bypass on stilts only at a stretch of 500 metres, passing through the once picturesque Salpem lake. r“We have not received approval for the bypass on stilts till date. We have been only told to prepare estimates only for a stretch of 500 metres passing through the Salpem lake,” remarked a NH-17 official. rThe official pointed out that no estimates have been prepared of the stretch along the Benaulim section of the western bypass till date. r“When we prepared the estimates for the bypass on stilts along the Salpem lake, we realised that each kilometre of bypass on stilts will cost the exchequer Rs 160 crore. We do not know how the government will construct the bypass on stilts admeasuring 3.5 km at a cost of Rs 160 crore,” an official quipped. rSenior officials in private admitted that the PWD Minister’s statement will only force the government to accept a bypass on stilts passing through the Navelim, Benaulim, Seraulim and Mungul before connecting Nuvem behind the bungalow of TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai. rThe PWD Minister had earlier this week announced at Sirvodem-Margao at the function held to commission the two STP plants, that the government has accepted the demand of Salcete villagers for a bypass on stilts admeasuring 3.5 km. He had further went on to announce that the bypass on stilts work would be tendered soon at a cost of Rs 160 crore. rSocial activists and Benaulim villagers had been demanding the construction of the bypass on stilts passing though the low-lying and flood-prone areas of the village. In fact, while work on the bypass had commenced all along the 12-km route from Telaulim, Navelim and Verna, the entire stretch of the bypass passing through Benaulim and Seraulim remains untouched till date. When the contractor made an attempt to start work on the bypass at Benaulim over a month ago, the work was immediately stopped by local residents led by MLA Churchill Alemao. rPromises made by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to inspect the low-lying areas of Benaulim before taking a call on the demand for a bypass on stilts is yet to take place till date.