------------------------------------------------------- CONVENTION OF THE GOAN DIASPORA FROM GOA INTO THE WORLD Lisbon, Portugal June 15-17, 2007 Details at: http://www.goacom.org/casa-de-goa/noticias.html -------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------- Do GOACAN a favour, circulate this email to your family members, relatives, neighbours and friends. Help others be BETTER INFORMED, The time is come for the people of Goa to ORGANISE not AGONISE !! ---------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nuvem Consumer Forum and GOACAN holds protest, demands vigilance probe in Nuvem-Arlem Bypass project and immediate closure to avoid fatal accidents ---------------------------------------------------------- Volunteers of the Nuvem Civic and Consumer Forum and GOACAN held a 2 hour-long dharna at Nuvem in protest against the delays in completing the Nuvem-Arlem bypass road and to highlight the death trap caused by heavy vehicles using the unfinished road. Armed with black flags, placards and banners near the starting point of the bypass road, the protestors demanded a vigilance probe into the huge delays in completing the road, transparency and accountability in all projects of the PWD and an end to the corruption in the Department. The protestors also decried the silence of the State Government officials, the Hon. PWD Minister as well as the elected local MLAs who are making it a habit to leave road projects incomplete so as to squander tax payers money and use the unfinished projects as an election promise to gain votes. The slogan shouting volunteers also demanded the immediate closure of the incomplete road as the unauthorized use of the same by heavy vehicles resulted in the death of Vishal Khushali Gaonkar a 28 year old youth from Murda Grande, Nuvem on Sunday, 29th April besides many other accidents. Meanwhile, GOACAN as part of its Voter Awareness Drive "Gramsabha Zagrut Za" will continue to highlight such case studies of indifference shown by politicians to peoples hardships. It will also focus on the role of MLA's & Ministers in delaying road and other infrastructure projects in various constituencies so as to use the same to get re-elected. ------------------------------ Background Note: -------------------- It may be noted that the much publicized Nuvem-Arlem Bypass project of 2.8 km length was awarded to M/s P.B.Ibrahim from Bhatcal on 25th April 2002 with completion date 18th June 2003 at an estimated cost of Rs. 2,39,64,422.30. Additional contract for two box culverts at a cost of Rs.20 lakhs was awarded to M/s D.S. Construction. The expired contract was extended by PWD to 26th November 2005 and then a further extension was granted to complete the project by 31st May 2006, this time levying a huge sum as compensation for non completion of the project. Mr.Abdul Salam Kallatra, the Power of Attorney Holder of M/S. P.B. Ibrahim in his letter dated 4th April 2006 addressed to the District Collector South Goa gave his reasons and agreed to complete the project subject to PWD meeting his demands which Mr.P.A.N. Gurav, Executive Engineer, WDXIV PWD was not prepared to accept. When the Additional Magistrate Mr. A.G.D.S. Pereira questioned Mr.Gurav about his next course of action, at one of the subsequent meetings, he said the contract will be terminated on the expiry date and the project will be completed by the PWD on their own. The Executive Engineer neither seriously considered nor included in the bypass project the need for a ring road at the T-Junction in Nuvem and when questioned, he stated a new tender will be floated for the same. In the absence of a ring road which is absolutely essential, apart from accidents all the time, fast moving traffic will be affected and will lead to congestion on the NH-17 as has already experienced. Whatever progress that was made on the project was purely due to the consistent protest actions organized by the Consumer Forums & GOACAN and the various meetings/site inspection convened and presided by Mr. A.G.D.S. Pereira, Additional District Magistrate, South Goa and attended by the various agencies such as the PWD, Traffic Police, Village Panchayats, the aggrieved citizens and the representatives from the various Village based Consumer Forums. In reply to the Nuvem Forum letter dated 7th September 2006, Mr. Pereira took up the matter with Chief Engineer, PWD, Altinho, Panaji bringing to his attention that as many as 7 meetings have been held to discuss and solve the problem where the EE had promised to complete the whole stretch of the road but has not kept his promise and as a result the agitation is still alive which may, if not taken care of, create a law and order problem. He requested the CE to ensure that the road is completed within a time schedule which may be intimated to his office for the perusal of the District Magistrate. He further gave a warning to say that if any law and order is created and any untoward incidents occur, it would be solely his responsibility as the Executive Engineer Incharge and has time and again failed to complete the work as promised by him and seems to have taken the matter very lightly. In a recent letter dated 26-04-2007 Mr. A G D S Pereira Addl. District Magistrate, South Goa, Margao has again requested the PWD Chief Engineer to furnish the status report regarding the completion of the project in order to avoid a law & order problem. The work on the bypass has been at a standstill for months: it is like an abandoned child. The stretch is neither completed nor asphalted but unofficially used by heavy vehicles. Its condition is pathetic and the heavy dust pollution is affecting nearby villagers besides it becoming a construction debris cum garbage dump site. It is a matter of great concern that due to the mismanagement of the PWD, the project which was to be completed within one year runs into the 5th year at a hugely escalated cost. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Prepared by Olencio Fernandes, (Convenor) Nuvem Civic and Consumer Forum ------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ GOA CIVIC AND CONSUMER ACTION NETWORK ----------------------------------------------------------- promoting civic and consumer rights in Goa ----------------------------------------------------------- GOACAN Post Box 187 Margao, Goa 403 601 GOACAN Post Box 78 Mapusa, Goa 403 507 mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---------------------------------------------------------- -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/attachments/20070516/90175287/attachment.htm ------------------------------------------------------- Goanet recommends, and is proud to be associated with, 'Domnic's Goa' - A nostalgic romp through a bygone era. This book is the perfect gift for any Goan, or anyone wanting to understand Goa. Distributed locally by Broadway, near Caculo Island, Panjim & internationally by OtherIndiaBookStore.Com. For trade enquiries contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------------------------------------
