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Goa shelves PPP plan for Margao bus stand

PANAJI: The state government has shelved its earlier plan to build an ultra-modern transport hub at Margao as a public private partnership project ( PPP ) and has instead decided to build a utilitarian bus stand with financial help from the Centre, said a government source on Wednesday.


Chief minister Pramod Sawant, Margao MLA Digambar Kamat, Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, transport minister Mauvin Godinho and Kadamba Transport Corporation limited (KTCL) chairman Carlos Almeida met with senior officials of KTCL and Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) to deliberate on the issue.

It was decided to build the bus stand in a phased manner.

“It was decided to go ahead with the construction of the Kadamba bus stand at a cost of Rs 63.5 crore as part of the phase I where the stress will be only on the bus stand,” said a GSIDC official.

The meeting was held at the ministerial block and was chaired by chief minister Pramod Sawant.

Sawant has asked GSIDC to fine tune the proposal for phase I, prepare the estimate after which a second meeting will be called to take a final decision, a government official said.

“We had said that we should not go for a PPP since it is prime land in Margao. If there is a shortage of funds, then the state should proceed with the project in a phased manner. The chief minister has agreed and said that it is advisable to go ahead with the plan in phases,” said Kamat.

“The chief minister has asked Goa State Urban Development Agency to explore the possibility of funds from the Centre under a scheme for urban transport or surface transport. The funding will be on a 70:30 basis with the Centre funding 70% ,” said a source.

“In the next two months the state will decide on the funding,” said Kamat.

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