Red tape delaying development: Sudin

Panaji: Power minister Ramkrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar on Wednesday said that lengthy administrative procedures are the reasons behind the delay in implementing a slew of developmental works.

“There are laid down procedures that need to be followed while tendering any work. Prior technical and financial sanctions are mandatory for any proposed work. The files are required to be processed and checked at all levels, so the delay is caused due to these administrative issues and not because of the MLA, minister or engineer,” he said.

Dhavalikar made this statement during his visit to Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) where councillors complained to him that the files of proposed development works are held up in different departments.

Aldona Congress MLA Carlos Alvares Ferreira said that the bureaucrats ought to speedily process the files.

Some of the councillors questioned the govt for the failure to maintain the streetlights, incomplete underground cabling work, and replace corroded electricity poles along the roads.