the goan I network
MARGAO
When the Margao Municipal Council laid the foundation stone for the ambitious multi-level parking project behind the municipal building at the fag end of the previous term on September 15, 2015, many believed that the project will be commissioned by the civic body during the current term.
But, with just nine months for the curtains to come down on the current five-year term in October, questions are being raised whether the multi-level parking project will see the light of day during the coming five-year term, beginning in November later this year.
For, the file moved by the Margao civic body to the office of the PWD Chief Engineer for technical sanction for the Rs 8 crore project, including GST, has still not got the nod from the PWD till date for reasons unknown. In fact, its five months now since the Margao municipality had forwarded the file to the PWD for technical sanction for the project around mid-September last year, but the file is yet to come back to the civic body with the sanction.
Even assuming the PWD finally accords the technical sanction for the project in the near future, sources in the know said the file will go back to the PWD with the NIT (notice inviting tender) proposal before the civic body is allowed to float the tender.
Considering the fact that it will take around 20-odd days to complete the tender formalities, sources said work on the project may start only in March, assuming the project attracts the attention of prospective bidders, and that the project may take a year if the project is executed on a fast pace.
Blame it on the GSR (Goa Scheduled of Rates) or the GST (Goods and Service Tax) had hit a road block in the last three years, first because of the introduction of the GST and then by the old GSR rates, leaving many a prospective bidder to shy away from taking up the project.
That the Shadow Council of Margao held a mock inauguration of the project on September 16 last year to mark the failure of the MMC to complete the project failed to spur the civic body to get the PWD grant the technical sanction for the project on utmost priority.
While then Municipal Chairperson Babita Angle Prabhudesai and Chief Officer Sidhivinayak Naik were quick to assure the citizens that the municipality will get the technical sanction for the project on priority, its exactly five months now since the civic body had moved the file to the PWD, but in vain.
MMC officials in the know told The Goan that the PWD officials have now assured the civic body to accord the technical sanction by next week. They, however, could not explain the delay of five months in getting the technical sanction for the project from the PWD.
Incidentally, with the multi-level parking project failing to take off till date, the MMC has put in use the land at the old fish market for the baling of plastic and dry waste. Instead of the parking lot, two baling machines and tonnes of baled dry waste was found occupying the very land where the civic body had laid the foundation stone for the ambitious project on September 15, 2015.
