The Goa government is exploring plans to expand its Smart City mission beyond Panaji, aiming to develop Mapusa, Vasco, and Margao as future smart cities. Government officials have shared the vision under the AMRUT scheme, linking the project with broader state goals of a cleaner, greener Goa. All this jargon seems pretty fine on paper but we have witnessed how badly the 'smartification' of Panaji turned out to be.The capital is worse off for the exercise as is evidenced by roads caving in, waterlogging in most areas even with very little rain, sinking pavements, backflow of sewage into homes, non-functioning storm water drains, crumbling infrastructure, uncleared waste, people dying by falling into unsecured construction pits, etc. Panaji still resembles a war zone, far worse than the state it was in earlier. No one from the minister to the local MLA to the mayor to the Imagine Smartcity CEO, to the PWD is willing to be held accountable for the mess. The 'Smart City'. It is a humble request from niz Goenkars that this scam of mega proportions be not perpetrated any further. We are happy with our 'stupid' cities.
