PANAJI
When Modi-01 announced its grand plan to set up 100 Smart Cities in the country back in 2014-15, the inclusion of Panaji in the list drew loud cheers in Goa. But more than seven years later, the decision to execute multiple projects has thrown the entire city off gear, the cheering has died down and almost everyone is cursing the government of the day for the chaos they have to face daily.
The work on three ongoing projects -- sewerage system, construction of a football stadium-cum-parade ground and multiple stretches of 'smart roads' -- all at the same time, has completely thrown intra-city traffic movement into disarray.
Mayor seeks to defray tempers
Under fire from the citizenry for failing to plan adequate alternative arrangements for traffic flow with city roads excavated at multiple points, the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) Mayor Rohit Monserrate sought to argue that the work will be complete by June next year.
The smart roads, sewerage chambers and sewerage line work are collectively tendered at approximately Rs 130 crore.
Monserrate and his father, Atanasio alias Babush, who is also the MLA of Panaji and Revenue Minister in the State cabinet, are members of the Board of Directors of Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL) the special purpose vehicle set up by the State government to oversee the whole Smart City plan.
The mayor has blamed the traffic chaos in the city on some issues with "inter-departmental co-ordination".
He said the work, when completed, will rectify old Portuguese-era drains and improve the flow of stormwater during the monsoon.
"The city's flooding issues will be resolved," Monserrate Jr said.
Why 'Smart City' got delayed since 2015?
The Centre's Urban Development Ministry has thus far transferred in excess of Rs 400 crore to the State government for the 'Smart City' project but only a minuscule Rs 16.15 crore worth of work had been physically executed until about eight months ago, according to information sourced from replies given by the Centre in Parliament.
It was only this year, about six months ago, that IPSCL went on an overdrive to tender and commence work on the ground with the underground drainage, sewerage and power cable project in Ribandar about eight months ago.
Much of the delay in getting the 'smart city' works up and running in the initial years since IPSCDL was set up was due to the tussle between the State government and the civic body of the capital city -- The Corporation of the City of Panaji.
Setting up IPSCL as SPV
From among the country's nearly 100 "smart cities", Panaji is among a handful where the State government decided that execution will be carried out by a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) and not through the CCP, the local body.
The decision was seemingly prompted by the fact that the CCP was politically controlled by Monserrate, who at that time, was opposed and at loggerheads with the ruling BJP, then led by the late Manohar Parrikar.
The CCP and IPSCL had been at loggerheads all along, up until October last year, when the BJP-led State government exhibited a change of heart and accommodated the CCP Mayor on the IPSCDL board, nearly a year after Monserrate Sr, defected to the party. Monserrate also was accommodated on the IPSCDL Board in place of his predecessor Siddharth Kuncolienkar.
In the meanwhile, the Centre came up with new rules mandating that the State government revert the funds released back to the Centre if not utilised by the end of the financial year. This led to the IPSCDL going on overdrive and tendering two projects in one go -- sewerage system and smart roads along multiple stretches and geographic locations in the city.
It is the execution of these two projects along with the ongoing work on the football stadium cum parade ground at Campal all at the same time that has led to complete chaos.
Campal-Miramar in a mess
There are two projects currently being executed in the Campal-Miramar area alone causing severe hardships to residents as well as visitors to the busy neighbourhood which is home to popular hotels and hospitals besides the Bal Bhavan.
The first is the Campal Parade/Football Ground and the second is the 'smart road' for a nearly 500-metre stretch between the Caculo Mall and the Ganapati temple at the T-junction with the DB Marg.
Both these projects are being executed by the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA).
The smart road, according to the plans prepared by the IPSCDL will encompass a concrete pavement, stormwater drain, utility crossings chambers, footpath, landscaping, street furniture, sewerage & water supply lines, electrical work, OFC ducts and gas lines.
Football stadium-cum-parade ground
The football stadium being constructed at what used to formerly be the parade ground is a replacement of sorts for the iconic Dayanand Bandodkar Stadium, the capital city used to boast of until it was demolished in 2004-05.
The late Manohar Parrikar had often faced severe criticism in his home constituency for this decision to demolish the stadium forcing the former chief minister to promise the construction of a 'modern stadium'.
The promise never materialised but to his credit, Parrikar had signed the dotted line on a proposal for a stadium moved by the GSUDA on the eve of his departure to Delhi as Defence Minister in 2014.
Yet, the stadium gathered dust in the files and in January last year, the GSUDA general body decided to drop the construction of a football stadium at the Parade ground due to a fund crunch and also a delay by the Town and Country Planning (TCP) department in granting the no objection certificate (NOC). The land belongs to TCP.
But IPSCDL stepped in and decided to take it up under the Smart City/Amrut Mission and ironically entrusted the project back to GSUDA as a deposit work and re-designated it as “Rejuvenation of Campal area of Panaji City as green space with recreation centre.”
It has an allocation of Rs 30.09 crore and the project is now under construction. IPSCDL MD & CEO Mamu Hage, IAS, who is also the North Goa Collector, regularly inspects the site to assess the progress of the work. It is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.
GSUDA sources said the stadium will have a capacity of about 5,000 and a 105x68 metres playing field.
It will also have two dressing rooms, a team lounge, a conference room, corporate boxes, a media centre and a television broadcast room and camera platforms in the stands.
Smart roads
As per the plans drawn up by the IPSCDL, four major roads of Panaji, including the one from the Old Patto bridge to the Four Pillars junction running parallel to the Rua de Ourem creek, have been tendered for development as 'smart roads'.
Another major road tendered for development as a smart road is the 3.7-kilometre-long stretch of road at St Inez from the junction near Taj Vivanta up to the Goa International Hotel T-junction.
The 'smart roads' project is worth Rs 120 crore and is also slated to be completed at the end of 2023.
Apart from the utility crossings chambers which will do away with the menace of digging to install utility pipelines and cables in the future, the 'smart road' will also have cycling lanes, which will be a pleasant novelty in Goa when completed. When, however, continues to be the million-dollar question.
