PANAJI
Meeting the High Court specified May 31 deadline to complete ‘smart city’ work is posing to be an uphill task for the workers and contractors even as Sanjit Rodrigues, the managing director and CEO of Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL) vowed to adhere to the deadlines, with “some leeway.”
Work on the smart road stretch between the Taj Vivanta Junction at St Inez and Goa International Hotel at Tonca-Miramar is currently progressing at a snail’s pace.
At present, work is ongoing on a stretch between the Taj Vivanta junction and the PWD’s Division III office at Tonca and its completion before May 31 will only be possible with extra effort and planning.
Work on the further stretch of this ‘smart road’ between Caculo Mall and the Sewerage Plant is yet to begin.
Rodrigues, meanwhile, asserted that work on the road stretches, including the Ribandar-Old Goa route will be completed on time with a leeway of another day or two.
“It is a challenge to complete the project,” Rodrigues admitted, even as he said that the pace of work had been hampered due to the interruption during the election week.
He said, several of the workers engaged had to go to their hometowns to cast their votes.
Rodrigues also said, that some amount of leeway in terms of the May 31 deadline may also be required for the St Inez area and from the Caculo mall to the STP road.
It is unlikely, therefore, that all ‘smart city’ related work in the capital city will end on the May 31 deadline and Panjim will have to brace up for more disruptions when work resumes post the monsoon to wind up all the projects -- sewerage system, smart roads and related street scaping et al.
