Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Goa Forward Party brought up concerns about the mishandling of Smart City projects in the capital city, and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has requested that the State government investigate these matters.
Vijai Sardesai, the president of the Goa Forward Party and a member of parliament, wrote a letter to the prime minister’s office (PMO) in New Delhi on June 12 of this year, accusing the office of corruption and ordering subpar work.
The letter also called for a thorough audit of the Panjim Smart City projects, covering financial, quality, and safety aspects.
In his letter, Sardesai said that the unplanned and chaotic building activity that was occurring while Panaji was being turned into a Smart City was the reason for the city’s degradation. The Panaji locals were experiencing constant hardship due to the scenario.
Sardesai had said that the project’s implementation had been plagued by numerous problems, despite a significant funding allocation of almost Rs 1,200 crore, which had left the locals feeling deeply disappointed, irritated, and outraged.
The letter was sent to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (Smart Cities-I Section) by PMO on June 19. It had since written to the Goa government’s Secretary for Urban Development requesting that they investigate the situation, take appropriate action, and notify the petitioner.
In response, the GFP said on Monday that there had been a total breakdown in project management and that four separate roads in Panaji had been dug in order to install utility wires and build cross drainages. When it rained, this resulted in floods in Panaji.
Additionally, no single organization was in charge of coordinating the construction; instead, Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Ltd., PWD, and the Goa State Urban Development organization completed the job.
