Shahin Bepari Lambe
Panaji
Nearly a year after the formation of a 10-member committee by the Imagine Smart City Development Corporation (IPSCDL) to facilitate inclusive urban development, the committee has met only once with its members alleging that it “seems to exist only on paper”.
The committee, announced in March 2024 by IPSCDL, was created to ensure that universal accessibility standards would be followed in all Smart City projects.
Headed by the Secretary of the Goa State Disability Commission, it was expected to guide infrastructure development to make Panaji accessible to persons with disabilities.
However, committee members say their role has been sidelined.
“The committee includes accessibility experts and disability rights activists. After the first meeting,
there has been no communication, no meetings, and no requests for advice from the members,” said one member.
“Despite ongoing Smart City work in Panaji, the committee seems to exist only on paper. Although composed of experienced professionals, their knowledge and recommendations have not been used,” he said.
Avelino D’Sa, President of the Disability Rights Association of Goa (DRAG), said that a consultant was supposed to be appointed to audit the Smart City projects, but there has been no follow-up.
“One year has passed, and not much has happened. We had only one meeting. Tactile tiles have been placed incorrectly in many areas, and I don’t think those mistakes have been fixed,” he said.
Taha Haaziq, committee member and Secretary of the Goa State Disability Commission, said that the process of providing recommendations is ongoing.
“The rectification of work is being taken up, and wrongly executed parts will be corrected in the next three to four months. We have conducted a survey and shared details of non-compliant projects with the committee,” Haaziq said.
He also stated that more meetings were not necessary as work is under way on-site.
Panaji residents, however, remain unconvinced. Raj Vaidya said, “No visible work has been done. Many issues have been pointed out, but no action has been taken. Some footpaths do not have tactile tiles, and in some places, the tiles lead to trees or dead ends. The state of the city is poor, and if any work is happening, it’s not visible. The committee lacks transparency.”
Elizabeth Kurian, parent and secretary of TIES – Towards Inclusion Everywhere in Society, expressed her frustration.
“The committee was formed, but there is no progress. A person using a wheelchair cannot move around easily in the city. Even the new buses and bus stops are not convenient for regular passengers, let alone for persons with disabilities. This is a complete waste of taxpayers’ money. After the first meeting, no other meeting was held. We don’t even know which consultant was appointed. We are not aware about any work,” she said.
