MARGAO
Strange it may seem, but true that the PWD, National Highway has started work of land filling along the Seraulim-Mungul stretch of the western bypass on the plea that the “temporary” road is required to transport machinery ahead of the construction of the 980 metres of the bypass on stilts.
Sources, however, have raised a host of questions over the road work, seeking to know whether the PWD is not required to prepare fresh estimate for the bypass on stilts over the 980 metres stretch. That’s not all. Questions are being further raised whether the PWD is not bound to comply with the mandatory codal formalities by floating a fresh tender for the construction of the bypass on stilts since the cost of the bypass is bound to go up significantly, running into crores of rupees.
Sources said the existing contractor had bagged the contractor specifically to complete the 2.75 km balance stretch between Seraulim and Benaulim via land filling.
After the National Green Tribunal (NGT) constituted 10-member panel of experts have recommended construction of the bypass on stilts along a stretch admeasuring 980 metres, sources said the cost of the project is bound to go up significantly. In this emerging situation, a question may be asked wherein the PWD is not required to revise the entire estimate and rope in a new contractor to execute the project on stilts,” sources demanded to know.
Incidentally, when The Goan contacted a senior PWD, NH official to shed light on the emerging situation, the official said the PWD may not float a fresh tender and the existing contractor may be awarded the work of the bypass on stilts to a stretch of 980 metres.
