PANJIM, March 19 -- Team Hearlad

With the March 31 deadline pledged by Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL) fast approaching, Panjim's discordantly named 'Smart City work' continues at a sluggish pace, its progress marred by chaos, disorganisation and bureaucratic hurdles.

Despite IPSCDL's assurances of timely completion, a large chunk of the work is still pending. Last month, IPSCDL admitted that in Central Panjim alone, 3,450 metres of road work remains unfinished. According to an affidavit filed before the High Court of Bombay at Goa, only 200 metres of roadwork is pending in St Inez out of a total of 3,000 metres, but Rua de Ourem still has 13,800 metres of incomplete roadwork.

Residents complain that haphazard di...