Ponda’s Golden Jubilee project gains momentum, 60% work completed

Ponda: With a new contractor having taken up the work, Ponda’s Golden Jubilee project has gained momentum. Work of the 13-year-old project was stopped in 2022 after the earlier contractor had given up the task midway.
The Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) has now allotted the pending work to a new contractor, Sameer Kinlekar, for Rs 3.3 crore to complete the remaining work.
Only the RCC structure of the project was completed between 2012 and 2021. However, about 60% of the work has been completed till now and the new contractor has promised to complete the work by Oct.
On June 15, 2021, the Ponda Municipal Council (PMC) resolved to change the contractor and re-tender the remaining work.
This was to be a signature project depicting the cultural significance of Ponda town with two small multiplexes, a cafeteria or food park and ample parking space. The project was delayed as the contractor had expressed his inability to continue with the work. The construction work of the project was allotted to Sameer Vachasundar, a civil contractor, who completed only the RCC structure.
“The contractor said that he can’t afford the work with the old Goa schedule of rates (GSR) and sought a revision as per the new GSR. The contractor had been paid around Rs 2 crore, and was asking for an additional Rs 80 lakh to complete the project,” a PMC official had said.
In 2011, former Congress govt had sanctioned Rs 2 crore to each constituency to have the projects to commemorate the golden jubilee year of Goa’s Liberation. A foundation stone for the project was laid on Dec 19, 2011.