the goan I network
MARGAO
Margao Municipal Council’s ambitious multi-level parking project mooted behind the Municipal building at the old fish market is finally down and out.
For the third time, the Margao Municipal Council’s e-tender inviting bids from prospective contractors has fallen flat with not a single bidder placing bids for the ambitious project.
Left with no option, Margao Municipal Engineer Manoj Arsekar has said the matter will be placed before the Council for an appropriate decision.
“The project costing Rs 6.75 crore was e-tendered thrice since no bidder had placed bids for the project. It’s now clear that prospective contractors are not interesting in executing the project’, Arsekar said, adding that it is now left for the Council to take appropriate action.
It’s now over four years since the then Council headed by former Chairperson Arthur D’Silva had laid the foundation stone for the multi-level parking project at the old fish market, but the project is yet to see light of the day till date.
The Council headed by Chairperson Babita Prabhudesai, that took over the reigns of office in late 2015, decided to take the project to the logical conclusion, the intervening factor seemed to have thrown the project haywire.
Civic officials in the know informed that the GSR rates have come in the way of the Council executing the multi-level parking project. The reason is simple. While the estimate was carried out by way back in 2016, the GSR rates have not undergone any change in the last three years, with many a prospective bidder staying away from taking the project.
A senior Municipal official maintained that the Civic body has found itself in a piquant situation over the multi-level project for the simple reason that while the bidders have stayed away from placing their bids for the project, and the government not revising the GSR rates in the last three years.
“Unless the government revises the GSR rates, the Council would find it difficult to execute the project as no contactor would come forward to execute the project with the old rates”, an official added.
With the five year term of the Civic body coming to an end around October next years, questions are being raised whether the incumbent Council will be able to fulfill the long pending demand of Madgavkars for a multi-level parking project in the city
by next year.
