Editor, Goemkarponn
AERIAL VIEW
Two accidents have already taken place, two innocent lives lost but still there has been no action, no accountability, why? Don’t these lives matter to anyone?
The Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant, the Panaji MLA Babush Monseratte and the Smart City CEO Sanjith Rodrigues when questioned about fixing the accountability have only maintained “Inquiry is on”.
We all know the accidents were caused due to sheer negligence of the contractors in both cases of Ribandar as well as Mala.
In Ribandar there was no protection for labour and at Mala there were no barricades for the trench.
These two are “open and shut” cases but still the government authorities say “Inquiry is on”.
The Panaji Mayor Rohit Monseratte after Mala accident said “he would have killed contractor if it was his son.”
Does action has to come only if the victim is a influential person’s son? The lives of labourer and a commoner have no value?
SURAJ NANDREKAR
Editor, Goemkarponn
Notwithstanding the political drama unfolding with the Panaji MLA Babush Monseratte blaming former chief minister Manohar Parrikar for mess in Panaji, the residents of the capital city see no respite from the hazardous dust and incessant digging.
Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and the Panaji MLA Babush Monseratte have announced the new completion date of May 31, 2024 for Smart City works, which have already claimed two innocent lives.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant emphasized the importance of the extended timeline in facilitating the completion of crucial works aimed at transforming Goa into a technologically advanced and modern urban centre.
The announcement aligns with the government’s strategy to allow sufficient time for the meticulous execution of smart city projects, thereby optimizing their impact on the overall development of Goa.
The extended deadline acknowledges the complexities involved in such transformative initiatives and aims to foster a more conducive environment for their realization.
Two accidents already…
On October 17, 2023, a 28-year-old labourer from Bihar working at Ribandar for the Smart City Project, died on Monday after getting trapped under a mud pile at the project site in Panelim-Ribandar.
According to the eye witnesses, the worker was trapped under the mud pile in the morning at around 8 am, as a narrow trench collapsed at the project site.
The fire station crew rushed to the spot and found the worker trapped inside the trench. He was pulled out of the mud pile and shifted him to the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Bambolim, where he succumbed to his injuries.
In the second accident, early on January 1, 2024 a young Ribandar youth died when his Royal Enfield motorcycle and he fell into a fatal ditch near Mala, Panaji.
The youth has been identified Ayush Halarnkar (21), son of Ex-CCP Councillor Rupesh Halarnkar. Ayush was returning home in the early hours of the morning when the incident occurred.
Ayush Halarnkar was riding his Royal Enfield bike close to the People’s High School area when the incident happened.
Sadly, when he came across an open pit that the Smart City had dug for sewage network purposes, his trip took a tragic turn.
The tragic accident was caused by a fatal oversight -there were no adequate barricades or warning signs surrounding the pit.
Where is the accountability?
Two accidents have already taken place, two innocent lives lost but still there has been no action, no accountability, why? Don’t these lives matter to anyone?
The Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant, the Panaji MLA Babush Monseratte and the Smart City CEO Sanjith Rodrigues when questioned about fixing the accountability have only maintained “Inquiry is on”.
We all know the accidents were caused due to sheer negligence of the contractors in both cases of Ribandar as well as Mala.
In Ribandar there was no protection for labour and at Mala there were no barricades for the trench.
These two are “open and shut” cases but still the government authorities say “Inquiry is on”.
The Panaji Mayor Rohit Monseratte after Mala accident said “he would have killed contractor if it was his son.”
Does action has to come only if the victim is a influential person’s son? The lives of labourer and a commoner have no value?
Why not jail the contractor and set a precedent that negligence leading to accidents will not be tolerated anymore.
Unless such stern action is taken, no matter how many deadlines are extended, the accidents will continue to happen…
