PWD seeks Rs 6,000cr from Centre for infra projects

Panaji: In its annual plan for 2025-26, the public works department (PWD) has sought funds of over Rs 6,000 crore from the Union ministry of road transport and highways, which includes around Rs 300 crore to carry out road safety measures and to maintain the condition of roads in Goa.
During the year, Goa plans to take up construction of the four-lane cable-stayed new Borim bridge, which is estimated to cost around Rs 300 crore, including approach roads. In Nov last year, state govt had finalised land acquisition for the project, acquiring 3.4 lakh sqm of land in Loutolim, Borim and Bandora.
Sources said that the PWD, in its annual plan, has also included the project of a ring-road connecting all border areas of Goa, which will allow traffic to pass to other states without entering and congesting main areas of the state. A study for the project was already carried out at Rs 10 crore to suggest how the road can be constructed along the ghats to prevent interstate traffic from affecting Goa.
“The plans also include the Cuncolim bypass from Uskinibandh to Bendordem. With four-laning sanctioned from Margao bypass to Cuncolim and from Bendordem to the commencement of the Canacona bypass, the in between stretch remains to be widened. This road from Uskinibandh to Bendordem has turned accident prone,” said an official.
In the PWD’s plan for 2025-26, it has also sought funds for new models to ensure better maintenance of roads like performance-based contract and short-term maintenance contract. Around Rs 200 crore of funds have been sought for this.
The PBMC or performance-based maintenance contract model is an expensive one at a cost of almost Rs 1 crore per km but is expected to give better results as the contractor will not be able to claim payment if he does not fulfill the requirements.
There are four components to the contract — routine maintenance, emergency maintenance, special maintenance and periodical maintenance — where the road has to be resurfaced in the second and fifth year of the contract. The expectations from the contractor have been laid out in each of the components. The contractor will be paid only if the expectations are met and will not be paid otherwise.
Even after the five-year contract ends, the contractor will be responsible for a defect liability period of three years, which will ensure that the road quality is maintained for a total of eight years. Better road quality is expected to guarantee improved safety.
In the model of short-term maintenance contract, short-term contracts for a year are issued for road maintenance.