The much vaunted Smart City Panaji project has claimed another life as a young bike rider plunged into an under construction sewerage chamber which was not adequately barricaded by the contractor. To circumvent public outcry and criticism from the opposition parties, the CM has promised yet another inquiry which of course shall bear no fruit. At the very least an FIR could have been filed against the contractor. Ponjekars have been experiencing Amrit Kaal for the past 7 years, they have been under siege by corruption, dust pollution, stinking sewage leaks, road cave ins, power outages etc. since this jinxed project was launched and government apathy is making it worse. The city resembles a war zone with contractors rushing to complete and hand over all works by June 2024. Only 40% of the Smart City work has been completed in the past 7 years, God only knows how the remaining 60% shall be completed in the next 6 months ; maybe the deadline will get shifted again to June 2034 . Someone rightly said that a Smart City can't be built by stupid people.
