‘Ribandar roads to be restored by May 30’

PANAJI: The North Goa collector has informed the Goa Human Rights Commission that all roads in Ribandar that were dug up will be restored by May 30.
No digging was carried out after May 15, Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL) managing director and CEO Swayandipta Pal Chaudhuri stated in his submission to the rights commission, adding that the delay in restoration of the roads was due to inadvertent damage caused to underground utilities – PWD pipes and BSNL cables- which required considerable time for repairs as this had to be undertaken with the assistance of the two departments.
The commission had issued notices to the collector, chief secretary and IPSCDL following a complaint over the condition of dug up roads.
The Rs 57.6 crore project of the conversion of overhead to underground electrical network was undertaken by IPSCDL in Ribandar since the electricity department couldn’t solve the power problem in the area, IPSCDL stated. The project was undertaken purely in public interest to avoid any form of inconvenience of power outages during the monsoon which has been the case in the past. The urgency in execuing the project before the monsoon was because dangling wires, falling trees, twigs and other objects could snap the lines and lead to frequent power failures, Chaudhuri submitted to the commission.