PANAJI
The ongoing Smart City works in Panaji resulted in a serious accident at St Inez where a part of the road caved in just when a loaded truck tried to cross the rough stretch. Four labourers, trapped underneath the laterite stones that fell off the truck, were rushed to the Goa Medical College and Hospital in a critical state.
The incident occurred on Monday afternoon when the driver of GA-04-T-3834-registered truck was completing his second trip along this road patch. While the labourers -- all hailing from Agra -- were taken to the hospital for immediate medical attention, fire personnel were called out to contain diesel leaking from the truck.
The accident led to a blame-game with City Mayor Rohit Monserrate claiming the driver ignored the barricades around the digging site; the latter claimed the road stretch was partially barricaded with one side open for vehicular movement. “I have been making trips every day.
Today is not an exception. This morning too, I off-loaded the material and this is my second trip. There was no barricade at the work site areas,” he said. The driver refuted allegations that he fled from the scene after the accident contrary to allegations by other labourers who escaped the mishap.
The Smart City officials have been making haphazard attempts to finish the works ahead of G20 meetings in March-April. The entire capital city is in a mess due to unplanned works undertaken simultaneously.
Utpal Parrikar took to social media to express his anger over the incident, demanding a quality audit of the work. “Not just financial audit but (it) require(s) Quality audit of the work being done in Panaji,” he said.
Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao also demanded a financial investigation into the Smart City project as he interacted with the media after visiting the accident site with Party President Amit Patkar.
“This accident after caving of a road is result of huge corruption by BJP Goa government in the Smart City work of Panjim. We once again demand white paper and inquiry under Retired High Court Judge on expenditure incurred on all the works so far. Thank God for saving innocent lives,” he said.
The Goan, in its crime review segment last month, highlighted negligence by authorities while carrying out road works. Incidentally, North Goa Collector Mamu Hage also heads the Smart City Mission.
The State-sponsored trip to award-winning Smart City in Madhya Pradesh is being opposed by the rival political parties, whose leaders are demanding transparency in the works undertaken in Goa.
