If construction companies are giving away roofs. They’re on the house. It was always in the name, therefore the Kala Academy slab collapse doesn’t come off as a surprise. Instead, it highlights the poor quality of infrastructure works carried out across Goa. Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude who’s been on the receiving end of the slab collapse pointed out a possible scam surrounding the Atal Setu bridge.
In response, Sudin Dhavalikar, the then PWD minister had the gall to claim that the Atal Setu project is one of the top most projects in the State and built by ‘one of the top most company in the world.’
However, recurring maintenance requirements and periodic traffic disruptions on the bridge have raised doubts about its construction quality. Let’s not even get into the standards of the tarmac on Atal Setu.
The incidents have sparked a call for stricter scrutiny and vetting of construction firms or so-called ‘buildcons’ before awarding them projects.
It is time Goan politicians prioritise the safety and long-term sustainability of Goa’s infrastructure rather than act like termites in cedar.
