PANAJI
M/s Bagkiya Constructions Pvt Ltd, handling some of the major projects in the Smart City initiative, is among four contractors that have been issued show cause notices for failing to meet project deadlines.
Bagkiya Constructions has received two show cause notices for their separate offices in Panaji, while two non-Goan agencies -- M/s NAR Infra Pvt Ltd (Telangana) and M/s Sky Group (Bangalore), have also been issued notices. M/s Prasad Sheth, with its office in Nuvem, Salcete, is also included in the list of contractors receiving notices.
Two notices have been issued by Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited and three by the Public Works Department. IPSCDL MD Sanjith Rodrigues said that these notices were issued after a thorough evaluation of each agency's work. The contractors have been given a week to 10 days to respond, and if their replies are not satisfactory, their services may be terminated and they could be replaced with new contractors.
"We conducted site visits of the works... Each contractor's progress in meeting completion dates was assessed, and we found deficiencies in some contractors. Some were slow in completing their work, while others faced manpower shortages and so forth," Rodrigues said.
If their proposed solutions are rejected, new contractors will be brought on board, according to IPSCDL.
When asked if these contractors would be blacklisted, Rodrigues stated that if they were found to have taken advantage of the system, the authorities will recommend its blacklisting. The authorities are actively monitoring the ongoing projects, and other contractors are also under scrutiny.
The capital city had been in a mess until Rodrigues took charge and attempted to improve the situation while directing contractors to expedite the work. The dug roads in St Inez were the first to be tarred, however, several areas continue to experience cave-ins and flooding in this rains.
Many parts of Panaji are still submerged, raising concerns about the progress of the Smart City projects, which have been underway for around one year. Numerous projects have so far remained incomplete.
