Goemkarponn Desk
PANAJI: The May 31 deadline is drawing nearer, but Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited’s “slight extension in deadline” is still ambiguous.
The state of the capital city remains reminiscent of a war-torn area due to ongoing road-related construction projects involving the excavation and re-excavation of multiple locations.
The recently excavated road segment from Altinho slope to Bhatulem, the road near and from Caculo Mall, the market stretch’s reworks, the perpendicular road from Mathias Plaza to the market, and the thoroughfare across from the Old Education Department are a few of these.
In addition, the sections of road that are partially accessible to residents and daily commuters in Panaji include the patchwork on 18th June Road, the whole area behind the military clinic near Rose Garden, and the St Inez stretch. Recently, the Heliodoro Salgado Road reopened after being closed for a few weeks.
Furthermore, the road that leads from the Patto-Ribandar causeway to Old Goa Medical College has made matters worse for the locals. Locals are concerned about the dangerous roads in the areas where the sewerage works are finished.
The state of the citizens has worsened due to the unfinished pavement work, as even pedestrians cannot access certain roads.
Suhel Seth, a businessman and columnist, used social media to criticize the never-ending work and predict that the results would be “nothing smart.”
“The person overseeing the Goa Smart City initiatives ought to be concerned. In the same way as all of Goa. Of all of them, he/she/it seems to be the least intelligent. They’ve ruined everything. My foot in Smart City. There won’t be a city or anything intelligent by the end of it, he declared.
“Babush Monserrate and Sanjit Rodrigues have committed to finishing the Panaji Smart City project by May 31, 2024, at the latest. For them, this deadline is untouchable. There will be no more work to be done after this point,” he said
It has been shockingly revealed that the traffic police have been more forgiving of offenders after road closures, even though this is dangerous for both drivers and pedestrians. Owing to road closures or blockades, drivers—especially those operating two-wheelers—are observed disobeying the law by entering the incorrect lane, endangering pedestrian lives.
It’s common to see these tourists riding on designated pedestrian walkways.
The majority of nighttime traffic infractions are reported in front of the Panjim Residency and behind the Old Secretariat, where vehicles and motorcycles enter “no-entry” zones and endanger other road users. The majority of rent-a-bike and rent-a-car drivers are frequently observed driving on the incorrect side of the M G Road.
