How many more lives would have to be lost for the authorities to awaken from their slumber to the extremely perilous state of affairs at the Ribandar-Chimbel junction on the Panaji – Old Goa new highway. Despite so many fatal accidents at that very intersection this insensitive government is numb as ever while taking the docile people for granted. But patience is rightly running out.
And PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar must be moon walking while he absurdly claims that 30% of Goa’s roads have already been repaired. The potholed roads across Goa are there for all to see and continue to be in a very precarious state besides so accident prone.
The government needs to wake up and embark especially in view of the fact that the Bombay High Court has already ruled that good and safe roads is a fundamental right of every citizen. Good roads are also a foundation vital to proper traffic management and road discipline.
The stark reality however is that while the Ministers are making merry there is no money in the State coffers to pay even the outstanding bills of the contractors. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant who travels to Qatar next week for the World Goa day celebration could return with some drums of much needed quality Tar to fix our roads and alleviate our pain.
By the way, in 2003 the then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had announced that anyone spotting a pothole on any road across Goa would be rewarded with Rs 1000. Today with not a road without potholes, what is your take Mr. Pramod Sawant?
