CCP for criminal complaint against road contractors

Panaji: With the capital city riddled with potholes, the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) on Tuesday said that a criminal complaint must be filed against the four road contractors who were awarded hot-mixing road work in Panaji last year.
This proposal was unanimously agreed on by some CCP corporators after former mayor Uday Madkaikar brought up the issue, and the resolution was passed.
He said that the roads were repaired ahead of Union home minister Amit Shah’s visit before the 2022 assembly polls. “Criminal and vigilance action must be initiated against the contractors and the PWD engineer who certified the works, including the principal chief engineer. Efforts will also be made to approach the Lokayukta in this regard,” Madkaikar said.
Currently, the CCP has taken action only against one of the contractors, C Ibrahim, who resurfaced the roads from Divja circle, Panaji, to Porvorim, and was paid Rs 93,44,900 for the work. Madkaikar proposed that the other three, Assmass Constructions, Alpha Tech and Bismillah Construction, also be held accountable. The four contractors are said to be Kerala-based.
While Assmass Constructions was paid Rs 93,55,700 for road work from Divja circle to Miramar circle, Alpha Tech was paid Rs 91,22,600 for roadwork from the Taleigao community hall to the seashore road, and Bismillah Construction was paid Rs 86,44,300 for road work from DB road to the Goa Marriott Resort and Spa, besides other internal roads.
“The road belongs to the CCP and the PWD is only an agency to do the work, yet citizens are blaming the corporators for the roadwork. The complaint should be filed before the Lokayukta, police, and the vigilance department, with a copy to the PWD minister,” Madkaikar said.
Speaking on the issue, Panaji mayor Rohit Monserrate said that action should be taken in case of poor quality work. “The roads were done only six months ago, and if faulty work is found, their license should be cancelled. There is a lot of inconvenience and we are trying to fill potholes with whatever we can. Once the monsoon is over, the (repair) works will start,” he said.