the goan I network
MARGAO
The government has set December 2020 as the deadline for the completion of the controversial Western bypass, even as confusion prevailed whether the government would build the bypass on the flood-prone 2.75 km stretch on stilts or by filling the flood plains of river Sal.
When the media asked PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar to shed light on the status of the Western bypass during his visit to Nuvem on Wednesday, he said the government has set December 2020 as the deadline to complete all pending works on the bypass.
On the one hand, Pauskar pointed out that constructing the bypass on stilts will see a huge rise in the project costs, while trying to reassure the people of the villages of Seraulim, Mungul and Benaulim that the government would take all flood-prone measures to ensure that the bypass is built with all safeguards.
In this respect, he said the government will hold a meeting with the officials of National Highway Authority of India in Delhi as well as in Mumbai to find out a solution to the issue.
“We will certainly work out a solution to ensure that the fears of the people on flooding are allayed,” he said.
The PWD Minister pointed out that the western bypass project has been mooted and executed by the Centre, adding that the state government was only involved in acquiring land for the project.
This is the second time in as many months that the government has disclosed plans to resume work on the western bypass while assuring to take flood prevention measures along the route.
Last time around, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had pointed out that work on the bypass would soon start with the government agreeing to spend additional money on the project before seeking a refund from
the Centre.
