Panaji: Castigating the city MLA, Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate and the City Mayor, Rohit Monserrate for the mess to which the citizens of Panaji are subjected under the pretext of carrying out Smart City works, the Independent candidate for the 2022 state assembly election from the Panaji constituency, Utpal Parrikar, on Thursday, said that the situation has taken a grave turn after a 21-year-old boy lost his life by falling into an unguarded pit, on the New Year day.
He also appealed to the councillors of the Corporation of the City of Panaji to bring a no confidence motion against the City Mayor for pushing the capital city in a pathetic situation.
Parrikar, who met the Chief Executive Officer and the Managing Director of the Smart City project, Sanjith Rodrigues with five-point suggestions to improve these works, later said that “People are approaching me with related complaints, even though I hold no position of any authority.”
He maintained that the city MLA and city Mayor make their appearances only on New Year greetings signboards.
Addressing a press conference in the city, Parrikar, who had contested the 2022 state assembly election against the current city MLA, said that he has also requested the Chief Minister’s Office for an appointment with the Chief Minister, Pramod Sawant to discuss the issue.
“I am hopeful of getting the appointment by next week,” he added.
Maintaining that health of the residents of Panaji, risk of road accidents in the capital city and traffic woes resulting from the Smart City works, are his main concerns, Parrikar said that Rodrigues should constitute a team to oversee all these problems.
“At the time of 2022 state assembly polls, I had foreseen and mentioned about all these glitches, which have now appeared in the Smart City works,” he noted.
Speaking further, Parrikar said that the Smart City works-related accidents in the capital city are only symptoms, while we need to address the real cause of these problems.
“The cause is corruption, incompetency and worst of all, indifference towards the grievances of public,” he observed, mentioning that the people of Panaji are just tools to be used as votes during the elections.
Alleging that Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) about the Smart City works have been handed over to the contractor, without anyone monitoring the same, Parrikar said that it is a one-sided contract.
“Now it is anyone’s guess whether the contractor will fund the next election or not,” he added.
Maintaining that the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi had provided a quality programme to the cities, but the one being executed in Panaji has been handed over to people who had experience only to tar the roads and shout “Viva, Viva,” Parrikar said that Panjimites will have to handle this issue by changing the (present) elected leadership, whenever they get the first opportunity.
He also said that the city political leadership knows exactly which political party to join, just before the election, and then by spending money how to win these polls.
“This is the cost people are paying now,” he observed, pointing out that the politics of Panaji has to be addressed by the people of Panaji.