A forensic audit of all projects under the Smart City mission needs to be carried out, now that the rains have receded, and the actual situation on the ground can be investigated. The Smart City fiasco has left Panaji reeling due to road cave-ins, pipeline bursts, backflow from sewer lines, choked stormwater drains, and more. It is one of the biggest scams, with taxpayers’ money being literally flushed down the drain. Handwringing and passing the buck have been the default responses of the political administration and the city fathers when it comes to accountability, fixing responsibility, and penalizing the guilty for this mess.
Many works were commenced without soil testing, proper structural design, project management consultancy, or environmental impact assessment. The result is there for all to see. It is pertinent to note that lives were also lost due to regulatory oversight and nil supervision by the contractors or PWD. Despite this, work bills raised by different agencies were cleared with undue haste by the government.
A forensic and quality audit by proven accountancy firms and reputed civil engineering consultants/IITs would surely uncover some unsavory findings but would also serve as a cautionary tale for further public work handlers. The government would surely not want to be shown in a bad light, but an audit will certainly go some way in cleaning out the Augean stables.
