the goan I network
MARGAO
With the former PWD minister making a strong comeback from Benaulim by defeating strong opponent of the bridge, ex-MLA Caitu Silva, Churchill has vowed to revive the bridge project with support from the Parrikar government. Whether Navelim MLA and State Congress president Luizinho Faleiro, who defeated ex-minister Avertano Furtado, will support Churchill’s plan to revive the controversial bridge or not is not known, but the former PWD minister has exuded confidence that the new Navelim MLA will back his proposal for the revival of the project.
Two questions emerge vis-Ã -vis the Navelim-Benaulim post 2017 Assembly election, whether Parrikar will support Churchill’s proposal to resurrect the abandoned bridge and whether the Benaulim MLA’s plan will find favour with his Navelim counterpart.
For, the bridge was abandoned midway through the construction after the BJP-led government headed by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar took over the reigns of office post 2012 election upon the demand made by his alliance partners, Avertano Furtado and Caitu Silva. Secondly, though Churchill has exuded confidence of securing Luizinho’s backing for his pet project, the new Navelim MLA is yet to publicly take his stand on the bridge till date.
The PWD too, sources said, is bracing up to move a fresh proposal to the government to revive the bridge project. The official file is expected to be forwarded to the government within a week’s time.
PWD officials in the know told The Goan that Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar was never opposed to the bridge per se, but political compulsions, and pressure from his two alliance partners, prompted him to stall work on the controversial bridge. “Parrikar had even suggested that the bridge can be used for two-wheeler or as a footbridge if then MLAs were opposed to four-wheeler traffic. But, the proposal did not find favour with his alliance partners,” remarked the PWD official.
Inquiries by The Goan has now revealed that work on the main bridge is almost complete, with the PWD having spent around Rs 4 crore on the project. The estimated cost of the project is pegged at Rs 9 crore. A PWD official pointed out that what is now required to be complete is the construction of the approach roads, including the spans, to the bridge on both sides.
Residents of Sinquetim had opposed Churchill’s dream Navelim-Benaulim bridge over River Sal on grounds that the bridge would only bring in heavy traffic through the narrow roads of Navelim.
Churchill had proposed a total of three bridges over River Sal at Assolna, Telaulim and Sinquetim during his stint as PWD minister when he was representing Navelim constituency. While the Assolna-Cavelossim and Telaulim-Varca bridges have been completed and thrown open for traffic.
, the Navelim-Benaulim bridge was bogged in controversies, before the then Parrikar government abandoned the bridge upon demand from both Avertano and Caitu.
