MARGAO
Even as reports have been doing the rounds that a cellular company is bracing up for large-scale digging of roads across the State, officials in the know say that the district-level road-digging coordination committee headed by the district magistrates of both North and South Goa cannot be bypassed by any department when it comes to digging of roads.
In fact, a senior official, while quoting a notification issued by Under Secretary, Revenue-I, Sudin A Natu dated July 20, 2018, is clear that approval of the district road digging coordination committee will be mandatory before the commencement of road digging work. Officials in the know say the respective district magistrates are bound to comply with the notification in letter and spirit and no company or head of any department can claim waiver of the provisions of the notification, irrespective whether the road digging is taking place prior or during the monsoon.
The official, however, clarified that heads of department may issue road digging permissions without referring the files to the district magistrates after obtaining approval from the PWD only in cases whether individual water and electricity connections are involved and in emergency cases involving repairs of cables, pipelines by government departments and public sector undertakings.
This assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of reports that cellular and other companies need not approach the PWD nor the district magistrates concerned for road digging on the plea that they have deposited payments with the PWD. In fact, the July 20, 2019, notification issued by Sudin A Natu, Under Secretary-I have come clear specifying the role of the district level road digging coordination committee under the chairmanship of the district magistrate, making clear that its role is not just to issue road digging permission, but to also ensure proper planning and systematic execution, besides monitoring of the works.
A glance at the terms of reference of the district level road digging coordination committee is not just to consider proposals submitted by the respective works departments for road digging or road cutting and grant approvals for discussions, but to alert all departments concerned to maintain vigil during the approved period of work so that their departmental assets are not damaged. The committee is required to ensure proper coordination between the various works departments in planning and executing works and avoid duplication of work by dovetailing the road digging works of departments so that road digging or cutting can be undertaken for multiple works in one go.
“The committee will meet as and when proposals for road digging are submitted to the offices of the respective district magistrates. Once the committee is constituted, prior approval of the committee will be mandatory before the commencement of the works,” the notification states.
