Prepare action plan for Panaji traffic by July 17, HC tells transport secy

PANAJI: The high court of Bombay at Goa on Monday appointed the transport secretary as nodal officer to coordinate with other government departments and to prepare an action plan to ease traffic congestion in Panaji.
In April, the high court took sou motu cognizance after Panaji witnessed regular traffic congestion due to the Smart City work.
"The high court has directed the transport secretary to prepare a plan of action to provide for smooth traffic movement in Panaji," advocate general Devidas Pangam told TOI. He added that an affidavit on this point has to be filed by the transport secretary by July 17.
Works by various depts under way
Over the past couple of months, several roads in Panaji have been dug up, resulting in serious inconvenience and traffic congestion. The work has been taken up by various government departments for sewerage line work and other work connected to the Smart City Mission.
Chief minister Pramod Sawant said that the Smart City work will be complete before the monsoon, but he later said that the government will continue the work even during the monsoon so that the public does not face hardships for even more months.
The state government had appointed Sanjit Rodrigues as mission director, Smart City Mission, for Panaji, thereby ensuring that Rodrigues is in the driver’s seat at all the institutions that play a key role in the implementation of the programme.