PANAJI
The Government of Goa has sanctioned Rs 500 crore exclusively to the Public Works Department to be given immediately with an aim to complete pending works as well as various other works like that of roads, small bridges, pending water supply work, building work and others under the Swachh Bharat mission like that of building toilets and the like.
Minister of Public Works, Ramkrishna "Sudin" Dhavalikar said that the money will be spent exclusively for the above mentioned works with the tendering to commence before the
year end.
"The money has been sanctioned and set aside. It will be immediately sanctioned once the tendering process begins, which will happen before the end of December," Dhavalikar said.
Among the pending works listed to be taken up includes the Ribandar bypass which is pending at two locations -- Ribandar where a bridge-cum-flyover is pending for completion and at the other end at Old Goa where a flyover is to be built over the Old Goa junction.
Besides this, the PWD will have to focus its attention on several dilapidated buildings and other maintenance works on other infrastructure maintenance works.
A few works have remained pending in various government departments, not just the PWD on account of the uncertainty due to Goods and Services Tax. Until the recent clarification from the Finance Department, government departments were reluctant to float tenders and if they did float tenders, no contractors were coming forward on account of the uncertainty.
The Public Works Department has an average annual
budget of Rs 1500 crore spent between capital works and maintenance works besides recurring expenses.
The Minister for Public Works Sudin Dhavalikar was at the receiving end from angst by Goa Forward supremo Vijai Sardesai on account of failing to complete several pending works with Vijai raising the issue of a ruptured sewage pipeline which was proving to be a problem for him personally as well as for the farmers and residents in the area surrounding the new District Hospital in Margao.
Dhavalikar had then claimed that the works would need to be freshly tendered and that procedures were holding up the works.
