5 months on, Margao’s hydraulic parking system yet to take off

Margao: Nearly five months after the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) invited expressions of interest (EOI) for Margao’s hydraulic parking project, there has been no perceivable progress so far, raising doubts about its implementation.

Sources said that while the Margao Muncipal Council passed a resolution in favour of the project, it is yet to get the necessary sanctions before tenders can be invited. MMC chairperson Damodar Shirodkar has repeatedly said that the project “should happen soon”, with tenders to be invited after EOIs are finalised. He said that once the work starts, the project will be completed in 2-3 months as it entails assembling prefabricated components.

The hydraulic parking system replaced the original Rs 10.5 crore reinforced cement concrete multi-level parking plan after repeated tender failures.

Local businessmen have expressed frustration over the delays. “We have been hearing about different parking solutions for years now. First, the multilevel parking, now the hydraulic system, but nothing ever materialises,” said a shop owner.

Opposition councillors have slammed the MMC for “announcement politics”, calling it a pattern of grand promises followed by silent abandonment.

Margao’s parking crisis has persisted for over a decade. In 2011, Congress govt allocated Rs 3 crore as part of a “golden jubilee package” for infrastructure projects, prioritising the parking facility. Despite a foundation stone ceremony in 2016, the project stalled due to repeated tender failures.

The original project cost was estimated at Rs 5.5 crore, which was later revised to Rs 6.5 crore due to escalating construction costs. The Rs 3 crore allocated funds, meanwhile, remained unutilised in the bank, accumulating interest of approximately Rs 2.5 crore over 11 years. In April 2022, the MMC was compelled to return the unutilised funds to govt. The council subsequently decided to hand over the project to the GSUDA for execution.

With Margao MLA Digambar Kamat now in the Pramod Sawant-cabinet, locals hope he will help fast-track the project.