PANAJI
After over two months of unplanned and simultaneous road and sewer works leading to massive traffic chaos and dust pollution in Panaji, the Smart City works will be abruptly stopped in view of the upcoming G20 Summit.
The Corporation of the City of Panaji was on Friday informed by the Goa government to stop all the ongoing works of Smart City by March 15.
The temporary move, which will yet again cause inconvenience to the public, will be resumed after the Summit in April.
The 2nd Health Working Group Meeting of G20 will be held in Goa from April 17 to 19, 2023.
City Mayor Rohit Monserratte told reporters that the works will be stopped within the announced deadline and all the dug-up roads will be re-carpeted. The statement comes at a time when over 50 per cent of the city's roads are dug.
The sudden decision has irked several people including former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's son Utpal Parrikar, who slammed the move.
"This will be a disaster for Panaji if work stopped in the current state. Govt. should think more about residents and small businesses. Less said is better about the current elected representatives of Panaji. Mayor says the roads will be recarpeted with half-finished work," he said in his two-thread tweet.
Twitter users supported Parrikar with Revati Sanzagiri claiming it a disaster. "It will be a disaster," she posted in her reply to his tweet.
Some even demanded that the work should not stop while others took a dig at the money-making racket.
"No, don't stop that or delay the work, it should continue as it is.., G20 should know how the bureaucracy of India works slow & just because G20 is coming why, should work be done 2 times? no need to host G20 and all don't bring them in Panaji at all," another user with Twitter handle @disputedhandle2 said.
Benjamin Braganca hinted at corruption as he stated, "Ohh sad. The opportunity to use money anyhow, in the last left months sadly fizzled out. BACK LUCK."
"Indeed it's an agony to enter the city. I do not know how who people commute daily bear it. Complete mismanagement," Shubham Naik, posted.
