the goan I network
PANAJI
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Girish Chodankar on Sunday demanded that Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar make public the safety of the Zuari bridge in light of questions raised over the condition of Piers 4 & 5.
“In the interest of public safety, the Chief Minister should come clear on whether both these Piers 4 & 5 are safe or not,” Chodankar told media persons at a press conference held at the party headquarters in Panaji on Sunday.
Chodankar insisted that Parrikar should come out with the clarification as the Congress had no faith in the PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar, whose statements in the past had proved to be unreliable.
The Zuari bridge is a crucial link between North and South Goa and used by thousands of commuting Goans on a daily basis, he said, adding that he has information that the PWD has raised concerns over these two piers in a letter to their counterparts in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH).
He claimed that on July 2, the PWD’s Chief Engineer (Highways) had written to MORTH.
“If it is safe, then declare that it is safe,” Chodankar said, adding that the government should also declare what steps it will take to ensure no inconvenience is caused to the commuting public in case of any eventuality.
“The government should not hide any information related to the Zuari bridge’s safety and put the lives of thousands of Goans at risk,” Chodankar said, adding that contingency arrangements including building a temporary pontoon bridge should be seriously worked on.
The Congress will wholeheartedly support the government in this effort, Chodankar said.
