Seraulim-Colva stretch, Goa’s costliest, unfinished for 10 years & vendors jam it

Colva: The 2km Seraulim-Colva road, touted to be Goa’s most expensive stretch, was to be completed a decade ago but not only is it unfinished but has also been taken over by vendors.

Initially, Rs 16 crore was allocated for the road. In 2018, the government infused an additional Rs 11.1 crore for various enhancements including the installation of dividers, hot-mixing, and street lighting.

Currently, however, the incomplete road is jammed by carts, clothing vendors, raincoat and two-wheeler seat-cover sellers, and vehicle mechanics. The other encroachers include chicken dealers and antique furniture stores. The footpaths and space over the drains have also been annexed by vendors.

The deputy sarpanch of Seraulim panchayat, under which a major part of the road falls, said that concerns about the commercial activities had been raised with police and the administrative authorities. No action has been taken yet, the deputy sarpanch said.

Officials from the Colva traffic cell said that the Colva police station has the authority to penalise illegal vendors. For their part, Colva police said the responsibility lies with Colva and Seraulim panchayats as they collect trade taxes (sopo).

Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) initiated work on the road in 2014. The project aimed to straighten and widen the existing two-lane stretch to a four-lane road. The project included provisions for underground cabling for LED lighting, a multi-channel culvert for stormwater drainage, service ducts, footpaths, and water supply on either side of the road.

The work gained momentum in 2016 with the BRICS summit in mind. That deadline was missed and the work came to a halt after the international event concluded.

In 2018, GSIDC handed over the project to the public works department (PWD) to lay dividers and complete the black-topping for the entire stretch at an additional administrative cost of Rs 11.1 crore. The total cost thus escalated to Rs 27.1 crore.

In July 2019, chief minister Pramod Sawant assured the former Benaulim MLA, Churchill Alemao, in the assembly that the PWD will complete the road by May 2020.

PWD engineers told TOI that they have already floated tenders for dividers and black-topping, with the lowest quotation being Rs 6.3 crore.


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