PANAJI
Residents of Ribandar have raised their objections to the decision of the North Goa Collector to permit smart city works and allow the excavation of work alleging that there is no clarity over the nature of work and accusing the administration of giving no thought to the plight of school-going children who will be badly affected.
Addressing the media, a large group of Ribandar residents raised objections to the commencement of work as it would cause tremendous hardships for their daily commute, especially affected school children whose end of first term exams are approaching.
"It would not be much of a problem if the authorities time their work of excavating the roads and executing the smart city projects with the school vacation from October 25 to mid-November," one resident said.
Another agitated Ribandarite raised the question of lack of transparency of what the smart city projects actually are.
"No one has bothered to explain to us. We also are unaware of who the officials responsible for the projects are," said the lady while pointing out that designated officials responsible for the Smart City projects must be available to them to seek clarification of the work.
Another resident said they raised the issue with the local CCP councillors but both of them have failed to take up their concerns and did not even show their presence on Sunday.
"If the CCP councillors do not amplify our concerns than how will our problems be heard," the distraught residents asked.
It may be recalled that the North Goa Collector gave his nod to the Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL) to excavate roads and start work in Ribandar on the stretch from Vithal Mandir to the office of the Crime Branch, Ribandar (Old GMC, Ribandar) from October 7 to 30.
“Permission has been granted to the Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Ltd for excavation of road for development of Smart Ribandar with operation and maintenance of selected facilities under Smart Cities Mission,” said the order issued by the North Goa collector.
Heavy vehicles, buses and four-wheelers traveling from Old Goa towards Ribandar will be diverted from Hotel Ratnasagar junction Old Goa towards the Kadamba bypass road.
Also, heavy vehicles, buses and four-wheelers proceeding from Divja Circle at Patto towards Old Goa via the Ribandar causeway are to be diverted after Hobles Riverview Restaurant to proceed via Kadamba bypass road, according to the order.
The residents of Ribandar however now are demanding that this be deferred to beyond October 25 to time with the school vacation.
