the goan I network
PANAJI
Severely slammed and pilloried for the pathetic condition of roads in the State throughout the monsoon season, PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar on Monday claimed that roads in Goa are now pot-hole free.
“All the potholes have been filled by the respective contractors at no extra cost,” Pauskar informed.
Contractors who execute road works are statutorily required to guarantee their work for three years from the date of completion according to the original tender conditions.
On the back of this clause in the contract conditions, officials of the PWD have arm-twisted the contractors to repair the potholes at no cost to the government.
Pauskar was at the receiving end of a sustained organic campaign launched by citizens after the unusually excessive monsoon this year battered the roads in the State leaving almost every kilometre ridden with potholes.
Noted dance instructor, Cecile Rodrigues, who was a candidate of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the 2017 Assembly elections, had launched a high-decibel campaign with the hashtag #RostoCampaign”, which gained significant traction and went viral on social media platforms.
Pauskar and the government were also severely reprimanded for the poor condition of the roads by the Bombay High Court, where a public interest litigation was filed.
The officials of the PWD had then filed an affidavit in the High Court detailing a schedule for repairing and hot-mixing the roads.
Pauskar, meanwhile, said on Monday that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has made a provision of around Rs 300 crore for the PWD to carry out the road works. “The work to lay a hot-mix carpet on the roads will begin shortly,” Pauskar added.
