MARGAO
The government has submitted to the High Court that the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) has roped in consultant Ms Rahul Deshpande & Associates to prepare a Detailed Project Report within 30 days to develop the acquired land at Sonsodo for a kabrastan.
The GSUDA and the Director of Municipal Administration (DMA) filed a compliance report in the High Court at the hearing of the Public Interest Litigation on kabrastan Tuesday.
The compliance report stated that the GSUDA had invited bids for the appointment of a consultant and resultantly a work order has already been issued to the consultant Ms Rahul Deshpande & Associates to prepare a Detailed Project Report within 30 days.
"Once the Detail Project Report is received, GSUDA will process further tendering of the work and the work is expected to be completed by May 31, 2023,” the report stated.
The High Court has taken the compliance report on record and has directed all the authorities to take steps to see that the works are completed at the earliest and in any case the timeline set out in the order.
The court has directed the government to file the compliance report on January 30, 2023, with liberty granted to the parties to apply if there is any difficulty.
At the last date of the hearing, the court had directed the GSUDA and the concerned Executive Engineer of the PWD to file a compliance affidavit before the court on or before November 29, 2022, indicating the progress of works at the kabrastan site.
The court had further directed that if work does not commence or progress at the site by the said date for any reason, the Member Secretary has to state the names of the persons responsible, failing which the responsibility shall be of the Member Secretary and the concerned Superintending Engineer of the PWD.
The High Court had cautioned at the last date of hearing that the Managing Director of GSUDA and the concerned Superintending Engineer, PWD having jurisdiction over the Sonsodo area where the acquired land is located, shall be held personally responsible if the works are not completed within the timeline now indicated.
The court had further directed the MMC Chief Officer and the MMC engineers to also render all possible assistance to ensure the completion of these works within the timeline stated. Even the Chief Officer will be held personally responsible if the works are not completed within the timeline now indicated, the court had warned at the last date of the hearing.
