PANAJI
The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has sought details on the action initiated, as deemed appropriate, into the complaint alleging corruption and substandard works involved in the Smart City project.
In June, Goa Forward Party MLA Vijai Sardesai, in a letter to Prime Minister’s Office, had alleged massive corruption and financial misappropriation associated with the smart city project. He had urged PMO to conduct a comprehensive audit of the project, encompassing financial, quality and safety aspects.
As such, the Union Ministry in a letter to State Secretary for Urban Development has requested that action, as deemed appropriate, taken into the matter be informed to the petitioner directly, under intimation to this office.
“Despite Chief Minister Pramod Sawant acknowledging the faults of the consultant, no significant action has been taken against the contractor. The contractor in question has a history of sub-standard work across various departments, yet he continues to receive government contracts. For the above reasons, the Panaji Smart City project is in dire need of your intervention,” the letter by Sardesai, had stated.
After drawing flak, the Chief Minister had announced that the government has ordered an audit of all the works under Smart City and the project consultant has been removed and action has been initiated against the erring contractors.
