the goan I network
MARGAO
A week after The Goan had reported that the approval of the District Road Digging Coordination Committee is mandatory before the commencement of digging work, South Goa district Collector, Agnelo Fernandes on Wednesday issued a memorandum to the Deputy Collectors to initiate appropriate action against unauthorized digging, if any, in the district.
The Collector’s direction comes against the backdrop of reports that road digging has started in Quepem around the Ambaulim village, with questions being raised in Collectorate circles whether the road digging has necessary permissions from the road digging panel headed by the District Collector.
Copies of the memorandum have been forwarded to all the Executive Engineers, PWD, heading various works division. The memorandum has been dispatched to the offices of the Deputy Collectors and Sub-divisional Magistrates of Salcete, Mormugao, Quepem, Sanguem, Dharbandora, Ponda and Canacona.
In the memorandum, Collector Agnelo has stated that it has come to the notice of his office that digging of roads is going on at a number of places in South Goa without due permission from the authorities concerned. “All the Deputy Collectors and the Sub-divisional Magistrates are therefore directed to examine whether any unauthorized digging of roads is going on in their respective jurisdiction. In case of any unauthorized digging, the SDMs are directed to take appropriate action in the matter by informing all such cases to the road digging committee duly constituted by the government,” the memorandum staes.
As reported by The Goan earlier, the 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 is mandatory before the commencement of road digging work.
It is, 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.
The July 20, 2019 notification has clearly specified 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.
Moreover, 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, its prior approval will be mandatory for digging,” the notification states.
