NT Reporter
Margao
The Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) has sanctioned a Rs 7.77 crore project for the construction of a state-of-the-art six-level automated overground puzzle car parking system in Margao, a move aimed at easing urban traffic congestion, an issue that has persisted for decades.
The project has a strict 12-month completion timeline, including the monsoon season, and will commence shortly after the site handover.
The puzzle parking system operates like a physical sliding-tile puzzle, using both vertical and horizontal movement to facilitate parking and retrieval.
In the letter of acceptance of tender issued to M/s SMS Limited of Parsodi, Nagpur, GSUDA member secretary Brijesh Manerkar said that the comprehensive Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract covers the design, construction and a mandatory five-year operation and maintenance (O&M) phase.
The letter further said that the tender was finalised at Rs 7.77 crore, excluding GST, which is 2.87 per cent below the government’s estimated project cost of Rs 8 crore. The executing agency has been directed to submit a five per cent performance guarantee amounting to
Rs 38.85 lakh within 10 days.
GSUDA has imposed stringent quality-control conditions, Manerkar said, adding that all foundation and structural designs will have to undergo mandatory vetting by premier national institutes such as the Indian Institute of Technology or the Indian Institute of Science before work begins.
Furthermore, the contractor will be required to conduct an annual structural audit throughout the stipulated five-year O&M period, he added.
The proposed parking facility has long been a demand of residents of Margao as well as visitors who frequent the commercial capital for shopping and other activities.
