DHIRAJ HARMALKAR/Goemkarponn desk
MORMUGAO: The market complex cum community hall project from Headland Sada has become a perfect example of a “white elephant”. This project which was inaugurated officially on Goa Statehood Day has not been put to use to date.
Incomplete electrical work inside this complex has led to the non-functioning of this infrastructure, says Mormugao Municipal Council Chairperson Damodar Kaskar.
This market complex cum community hall project came into existence by the end of 2016 and was supposed to be completed by 20
18.
Although the building has been built and standing tall, to make this infrastructure usable by the staff and other people, the interior electrical work has not been completed yet and has stalled this structure to be made operational.
Despite this incomplete work, surprisingly, last year, on Goa Statehood Day, this project was inaugurated in the presence of Mormugao municipal council members and BJP supporters.
According to the official website of GSUDA, the expenditure incurred for this project was whooping Rs.2,30,85,304. When questioned by Dam
on
ar Kaskar, Chairperson of Mormugao Municipal Council, about the unknown delay in shifting of the old municipality administration staff and operations to this new market complex building, Kaskar admitted that despite the inauguration of this market complex building, the interior electrification work of this newly the built building is pending And once it is done then by February 2022, the shifting of municipality operations in this building will happen.
This four-story SADA market complex cum community hall project will have shops for fish and vegetable vendors, a gymnasium, parking facility, community hall, etc.
During the visit of the Goemkarponn reporter at the site, it was observed that the building surrounding had become a dumping ground of waste, dirty water. The shrubs and wild vegetation have overgrown underneath the building, making it a safe haven for rodents, serpents, and strays. It has been almost two years since the infrastructure was built, but the lackadaisical approach towards this project has made it a white elephant in the Mormugao constituency.