the goan I network
MAPUSA
The wheels of the administration have finally begun moving to kick-start work on the new bus stand in Mapusa.
The Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) on Friday has floated a tender for miscellaneous works on the construction of the much delayed new bus stand in Mapusa.
The GSIDC has invited bids for construction of assorted works at the bus stand site at an estimated cost of Rs 2.96 crore.
The tenders will be opened on March 2 and the successful bidder will get six months, which includes the period of monsoon, to complete all the miscellaneous works at the site.
Although the total area of the new bus stand is around 20,000 sq mt, GSIDC will take up work on an area of around 10,000 sq mt.
The miscellaneous works entails installation of pavers, construction of bus shed and toilets, drainage and fencing of the entire area.
However, work on the bus stand will not start at least for another two months due to the Zilla Panchayat elections.
“Due to code of conduct for ZP elections we won’t be able to issue the work order on the project. But as soon as the code is lifted the work order will be issued,” said Jude Cardozo, Manager Engineering, GSIDC.
The delay in starting the work will mean that the bus stand will be thrown open to public only after the monsoons.
It may be recalled land-filling of the acquired area for the proposed bus stand was taken up in 2015 as first phase of work at an estimated cost of Rs 1.32 crore.
In phase two, a 25-metre wide road was supposed to be constructed connecting the new bus stand to the NH66 about 200 metres before the Map usa-Bastora junction while phase three included construction of the new bus stand and converting the present bus stand into a parking lot.
The cost of the bus stand project was estimated to cost Rs 210 crore and was expected to be taken up through public private-partnership model.
Time and again, the government has been making announcements of starting work on the new bus stand only to back track on the promises later.
