PANAJI
Just weeks after narrowly sidestepping contempt proceedings in the High Court of Bombay at Goa, the agency at the helm of Goa’s most ambitious urban overhaul has quietly reversed its stance on three of Panaji’s busiest arteries.
The Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL), which had until recently washed its hands of Atmaram Borkar Road, 18th June Road and Dr Pandurang Pissurlekar Road has reportedly claimed responsibility for fixing them. This clearly means that roads that were, by its own admission, “not under the Smart City mission” are suddenly part of a new proposal rushed to the Chief Minister’s office.
In early April, IPSCDL CEO Sanjith Rodrigues had doubled down on that narrative. “We were very categorical that these roads cannot be taken up under the Smart City mission in its current form because the central drains run through these roads,” Rodrigues had said at the press conference, adding that the matter was flagged to the State government, which had subsequently “taken note.”
Now, as the monsoon nears and some parts of Panaji still reeling under unfinished works, the same agency has allegedly obtained the government’s nod to take up the work using State funds. Government sources told The Goan that urgency was cited in the request for special budgetary allocation.
“The proposal, though green lit, will require a new tender, a new contractor, a new consultant and a reset of timelines. In real terms, commuters to these roads, especially on 18th June Road, will continue to face water-logging,” the source added, admitting to monsoon-related issues this year too.
The High Court, which had earlier set a March 31 deadline for completing major road and sewerage works, was shown patches of progress at the time, wherein trenches were hurriedly filled with gravel and layers of concrete.
Sources further confirmed that IPSCDL is eyeing one of its current contractors to take up the new assignments. Even so, timelines are uncertain. A fresh carrying capacity survey is likely to be ordered before any work begins on 18th June Road, where clogged central drains must be overhauled from scratch.
The cost of this bureaucratic delay is allegedly a massive public expense, as just one of the proposed road works may cost upwards of Rs 50 crore. Rodrigues remained unavailable for comment, with the agency spokesperson saying he is “out of town.” The IAS officer was last week immediately relieved by the Ministry of Home Affairs, with a warning, to take over the posting in Ladakh, where he was transferred last September.
Meanwhile, desilting operations by the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) have also hit roadblocks, with sources alleging that some commercial establishments are refusing to cooperate, compounding the water-logging risk.
