Administrative machinery must remember that it needs to be sensitive to people’s suffering
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s statement yesterday deferring the closure of the highway section in Porvorim from O’Coqueiro junction to Mall de Goa has brought much relief to commuters ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi. He said that the decision on the proposed closure of the NH66 stretch – meant to facilitate the work of the elevated corridor – would be taken after the Ganesh festival following due consultations.
The announcement came hours after Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte said he had sought Sawant’s intervention in deferring the road closure. On Sunday evening, Khaunte had said that if the traffic had to be diverted, then the internal roads (such as BB Borkar Marg) had to be done up first. Khaunte is absolutely right. The government must also think of some measures to decongest the
Guirim-Panaji road.
Incidentally, the government clarification came following angry reactions from citizens, including residents of Porvorim. Their main point was: why was the government closing the highway stretch during Ganesh Chaturthi? The PWD, on the evening of August 23, announced that the stretch would be shut for vehicular traffic from August 24 and that traffic would be diverted onto the BB Borkar road. Being the main religious festival in the state, Ganesh festivities see huge traffic flow. Imagine the chaos that would have happened in Porvorim on the festival’s eve. Wasn’t it odd on the part of the PWD to decide on the closure two days before Chaturthi? Didn’t the PWD take the approval of the minister concerned, who, in this case, is the Chief Minister? Since the resignation of Nilesh Cabral nearly two years ago, the PWD portfolio has been with the Chief Minister.
This episode has once again displayed the failure of the administrative machinery and lack of coordination. The PWD wanted to facilitate hindrance-free and speedy completion of the launching of precast segments. Also, it seemed to be in a hurry, as any delay in completion of the elevated corridor would lead to cost escalation. That’s fine, but the proposed closure of roads – in this case a highway – cannot be during festivities or examinations. That’s the least any authority should not ignore.
Khaunte rightly raised two important points. One is consultation. He spoke of the need for discussion before closing any road. The Chief Minister has also said the same. The second issue the Tourism Minister raised is about the condition of the internal roads. Agreeing with people’s sentiments about potholed roads, he said they need to be worked on before diverting traffic from the highways onto them. Khaunte’s statement exposes the PWD, showing that the department wanted to divert traffic without preparing the internal roads.
This is not the first time the PWD has announced the closure of a highway road or bridge only to then defer it. Earlier this year, it wanted to close the Mandovi bridge for traffic from March 2, when the SSC examinations had begun from March 1. After public outcry, the closure was postponed. In both cases, didn’t the PWD know about the SSC examination schedule, which is announced several months earlier, and the dates of Ganesh Chaturthi?
It looks like many times administrative decisions are taken without proper thought and also involve a lack of coordination. Elected representatives and other stakeholders also need to be consulted. Announcements must be made well in advance. Government departments and agencies must work in tandem to
ensure citizens’ interests.
