MAPUSA: Lack of funds in the government kitty has delayed work on the sewerage network projects in Calangute and Mapusa due to non-payment of a whopping Rs 15 crore. According to sources, the government has to make payment to Simplex Infrastructure Pvt Ltd for carrying out the work of both the pilot projects.
A deputy project manager in the PWD informed this daily that Rs 26 crore is to be paid to the contractors towards various works of which Rs 15 crore is outstanding amount to be paid to Simplex Infrastructure. He said that the Chief Minister has signed the bills but due to lack of funds the amount is not paid to the contractors.
JICA had given a loan to the state government to carry out work on the sewerage network. The agreement was for a period of ten years which expires in November 2017. The agreement was signed between JICA and the state government initially for Rs 1,031 crore but the estimate has been revised later to Rs 1,300 crore.
In the past, JICA used to pay the money in advance but as the rate of Yen began to fluctuate, JICA has told the government to pay the contractor and send the bills to them, only then will the payments be released. Unfortunately the state government does not have the required funds and, hence, the payment is pending for over six months.
Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza has admitted that the contractor Simplex Infrastructure has been carrying out sewerage network work in Mapusa and has not been paid as the government has no money in the kitty due to many projects taken up for development of the state.
The sewerage network is the need of the hour especially along the beach belt of Calangute where wells are contaminated as hotels have been releasing sewage into nullahs and the sea, causing a nuisance to locals.
The sewerage project was to be completed in December 2016 but failed to achieve the deadline. In Mapusa, the work is going on at a snail’s pace causing inconvenience to the general public.
The slowdown of work is causing a nuisance to residents as roads are in a pathetic condition especially at the district hospital. Patients and senior citizens are facing a lot of difficulty as local buses are not allowed to enter the road from the Peddem side of Mapusa.
On some of the roads, the sewerage work has been completed and the road stretches are awaiting hot-mix carpeting. Two-wheelers and four-wheelers are put to a lot of inconvenience especially on the Dattawadi road, electricity department road going towards St Xavier’s College and Housing Board road.
The project manager of Simplex Infrastructure Atunas Das, who is carrying out the work at Mapusa, said that the government has not cleared his bills from July 2016 and there is a huge outstanding amount. Das said that the company is also carrying out the work on the sewerage network in Calangute where the work has stopped due to non-payment of bills.
MMC chairperson Sandeep Falari has said that hot-mix carpeting of the road at Dattawadi and along electricity department will be taken up first as they are in a very bad shape.
Meanwhile, traffic police sources have revealed that two-wheelers have been cursing them due to the poor condition of the roads whenever there is a diversion. Sources further said that many accidents have been reported on the steep slope going towards St Xavier’s College.
Dattaram, a resident of Peddem, said that the work is going on for the last two years and senior citizens are inconvenienced especially near the district hospital. He said that the work has to be taken up on a war footing as many people from the rural areas visit the hospital for treatment.
Arvind Naik, another resident from Mapusa, said that there is only one KTC bus which comes from the Mapusa bus stand to the District Hospital but some people are not aware of this facility and they walk all the way from the court junction.