Editor, Goemkarponn
AERIAL VIEW
Now if the Panaji MLA distances himself from the mess, who else is to be blamed? The onus is now on the Chief Minister to answer some tough questions, isn’t it?
What is difficult to understand is that the CM and the other legislator know very well about corruption in Smart City; there is no accountability fixed as neither there is any inquiry or any arrests.
Successive IPSCDL CEOs and members claimed the works are monitored by Prime Minister himself. Does this mean that the PM approves of such corruption?
The CM needs to get the culprits behind bars irrespective of who they are, which party they belong to, and whether they are officers from State or IAS; nobody should be spared, as people have lost crores due to this criminal negligence and now they are losing lives.
The criminal negligence has claimed life a young boy, who had just started to know the world. Imagine what would be his family’s plight? How would they feel every New Year’s night? How will teh Goa Government or the IPSCDL compensate them? No amount of compensation will take their grief away.
They will only be happy if the Goa government acts and sees that no more youths like Ayush lose their lives.
SURAJ NANDREKAR
Editor, Goemkarponn
Lakhs of Goans welcomed the New Year 2024 partying all night, but tragedy struck Halarnkar family, who lost their 24-year-old son, only because of the negligence of the authorities.
In the past two years, several media outlets, including Goemkarponn and alert citizens have brought to the notice of the the haphazard works being carried out by the Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL).
However, the IPSCDL and the State government has turned a blind eye to the sub-standard works being carried out by the contractors.
This is the second fatal incident witnessed at the Smart city work site.
On October 17, a innocent life was lost due to the negligence to safety measures by the contractor.
On Monday, Goa was shocked to get the news of being trapped to death by the pile of mud on Ribandar road where the sewerage works were underway.
There too, it was criminal negligence of the contractor, who took no safety measures for his workers.
Coming back to the Mala accident, the government has to punish the contractor for not barricading the trench dug for Smart City works. He needs to be jailed and an exmaple has to be set that no matter what negligence would not be tolerated.
Wonder, who is monitoring the Smart City works? The CM Dr Pramod Sawant will say it is the CEO Sanjith Rodrigues who is monitoring the works.
Of Course, Sanjith will have to take this responsibility simply because the trenches dug cannot be left without protection. It was his responsibility to direct all contractors to take safety measures.
Also, they had to take more precautions as lakhs of tourists arrive in Goa during Christmas weekend, who have no clue what the Goan roads are all about.
The Panaji MLA Babush Monseratte has washed off his hands on any kind of controversy in Smart City works. He had said a year ago that he does not rule out such things in Goa as the works are of sub-standard quality.
Monseratte and his son Rohit, who is the CCP Mayor, are members of the IPSCDL committee.
Besides, Monseratte has said the Chief Minister, Dr Pramod Sawant, is personally monitoring the works.
Now if the Panaji MLA distances himself from the mess, who else is to be blamed? The onus is now on the Chief Minister to answer some tough questions, isn’t it?
What is difficult to understand is that the CM and the other legislator know very well about corruption in Smart City; there is no accountability fixed as neither there is any inquiry or any arrests.
Successive IPSCDL CEOs and members claimed the works are monitored by Prime Minister himself. Does this mean that the PM approves of such corruption?
The CM needs to get the culprits behind bars irrespective of who they are, which party they belong to, and whether they are officers from State or IAS; nobody should be spared, as people have lost crores due to this criminal negligence and now they are losing lives.
The criminal negligence has claimed life a young boy, who had just started to know the world. Imagine what would be his family’s plight? How would they feel every New Year’s night? How will teh Goa Government or the IPSCDL compensate them? No amount of compensation will take their grief away.
They will only be happy if the Goa government acts and sees that no more youths like Ayush lose their lives.
