the goan I network
PANAJI
Over a month after the conclusion of the monsoon assembly session, there appears to be no sign of the smart city committee to review the works undertaken by the Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL) in the city.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had on the floor of the house, assured Panaji MLA Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate that a committee would be formed to review smart city projects. The committee, he had said, would include the Panaji MLA as well as the city mayor Uday Madkaikar. However, there is still no word of when the committee will be formed, leaving the fate of the
smart city projects hanging for the time being.
Monserrate told The Goan on Wednesday that he had sent a reminder to the CM about forming the committee, but had so far received no news about the same. Monserrate, as well as the Corportation of the City of Panaji (CCP) ruling panel that owes allegiance to him, had very vociferously opposed the ongoing works being undertaken by IPSCDL after Monserrate took over as MLA of the capital city in May this year. When contacted, Madkaikar said that he too had received no word about either the committee, or the future of the smart city projects. He said that projects that had been commenced by IPSCDL are now pending.
The mayor and CEO of IPSCDL Swayansipta Pal Chaudhuri had a few differences of opinion with regards to the projects in June-July this year. The mayor voiced frustration that IPSCDL was not keeping the CCP informed about projects being undertaken. The mayor had also stopped several works being undertaken by IPSCDL.
As long as Manohar Parrikar was Chief Minister of Goa, BJP’s Siddharth Kuncalienkar had been over-looking the smart city project. However, that changed with the passing away of Parrikar, and the election of the new Panaji MLA.
