Goemkarponn desk
MARGAO: Shadow Council for Margao today questioned the works departments like the PWD, WRD, GSUDA, GSIDC etc., for not making it mandatory for the Contractor of the respective departments to display a board give the details of the tender under which the works are executed.
Margao has been witnessing a series of launching ceremonies by breaking the sacred coconut. However, there seems to be no transparency with regard to the work executed. Citing the example of the three launching ceremonies held at 3 different locations by the Margao MLA Digamber Kamat for the work of laying Hotmix carpet for roads in Margao, Savio Coutinho said that Madgaonkars are confused and are under the impression that 15 crores are being spent on three works of 5.2crs each. He added that the situation is similar to WRD works where multiple launching ceremonies are held.
SCM Convener Savio Coutinho stated that as per the tender conditions, every Contractor must display a board giving all the details of the contract; however, neither does the Contractor care to display such a board, nor do the concerned engineers ensure that the Contractor does the same.
SCM also called upon the PWD Minister, Nilesh Cabral, to check upon how PWD invites tenders for laying Hotmix carpet, construction of drains and providing of RCC slabs over existing drains. The tenders are absolutely vague and always titled as “laying Hotmix carpet/construction of drains/providing of RCC slabs over existing drains AT VARIOUS PLACES IN MARGAO CONSTITUENCY”. If one questions the concerned works division, one gets an answer that they have a plan in their file with the locations. These plans, however, remain confined to the files while the works are executed as per the dictates of the politicians, leaving behind the locations which were actually part of the tender process, Coutinho charged.
SCM further highlighted the case where the Hotmix carpet is to be provided in 2 layers. The launching ceremonies are held, and only one layer of macadam is provided, and after several months or even years, the second layer is provided with another launching ceremony. We have internal roads at Colmorod wherein the first layer was laid in February 2020, and to this date, the second layer hasn’t been laid, Coutinho pointed out.
“As the time gap between laying of the two layers of Hotmix carpet drastically affects the life of the resurfaced roads, we demand that no bills should be paid to the Contractor unless the second layer is provided immediately after the first”, Coutinho said.
Adv Snehal Onskar pointed out the increase in the road level in the Comba area because of the repeated laying of Hotmix carpet. Adv. Snehal said that with the increase of road level, the level of the adjoining houses has become lower, and during monsoons, water enters into the houses and compounds of the people.
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