Revenue minister who is also the Panaji MLA has reportedly broken his silence over the controversy around the ongoing Smart City works in the capital saying that it appears to be substandard and the highly paid consultants need to be held accountable. Being the elected representative of the capital city it must be said that the responsibility lies at his doorsteps. The project should have been scrutinized right from day one by the authorities. It is learnt that both the minister and the mayor reportedly gradually withdrew from the spotlight of the Smart City work as citizens and commuters grew restive over the inconvenience caused by the excavated roads and disruption in the flow of traffic. It is learnt that the consultants have been paid Rs 8 crore for the consultancy. The work should have been monitored by the government through the PWD. Those in power need to take the responsibility and see to it that the works are expedited before monsoon. If things are not set right, the blame game will obviously grow louder.
