PWD’s new Rs 2.11 crore tender fresh attempt to restore the decades-old structure at Municipal Square
File photo of the South Goa Administrator of Comunidades building.
MARGAO
The Public Works Department (PWD) has once again floated a tender — the second in two years — for the maintenance and repairs of the Administrator of South Goa Comunidades building, raising a crucial question: Will the decades-old landmark at Margao’s Municipal Square finally be restored to its former glory?
This fresh tender by PWD (Buildings) comes after a failed attempt over two years ago when the tender exercise attracted only a single bidder, stalling progress. Despite attempts to revive the process, no headway was made — until now.
The tender assumes significance as it seeks to address the prolonged deterioration of the heritage building, which has been severely affected by years of exposure and apathy. Rampant water seepage during monsoons forced the Administrator of Comunidades and his staff to shift to temporary premises at the Old Collectorate building nearly five years ago.
Last time, with just one bidder responding to the PWD’s call, the project could not move forward. However, with Margao MLA Digambar Kamat now at the helm of the PWD portfolio, fresh hope has emerged. At a function at the historic Lohia Maidan, Margao, Kamat had, just a year ago, promised to personally intervene and oversee the building’s restoration.
Maintenance and repair work
A glance at the tender notices revealed that the PWD has decided to take up the maintenance and repairs at a cost of Rs 2.11 crore — the same amount quoted in the previous tender floated in 2023. The selected contractor will be required to complete the restoration within 300 days.
The big question now is whether this renewed effort will receive a better response from contractors and move beyond the paperwork stage.
Years of neglect caused decay
Once a proud structure symbolising the region’s administrative heritage, the Comunidades building has suffered from prolonged neglect. Despite repeated offers by the components of South Goa comunidades to fund and initiate repair work, bureaucratic inertia, however, had prevented any real action.
The situation worsened further when rainwater damage made the premises uninhabitable, forcing the shift to alternative accommodation.
A structural stability report submitted over five years ago by Goa Engineering College confirmed that the building could be restored, provided urgent repairs were undertaken. Yet, despite this green light, no progress was made. The building has since continued to deteriorate, despite repeated assurances and expressed willingness by comunidade stakeholders to contribute towards its restoration.
As the PWD makes another attempt to revive this long-delayed project, all eyes are now on whether the process will finally break free of past hurdles — and whether one of Margao’s most significant heritage buildings will be revived to its past glory.
---
Repair welcome, but don’t dilute ownership: Comunidades to govt
MARGAO: Components of South Goa comunidades welcomed the government’s tender floated to take up repairs to the South Goa Administrator of Comunidades building, but they hoped the government would not dilute the ownership of the building.
President of the comunidades of Margao, Aquem, Davorlim and Dicarpale, Savio Correia, told 'The Goan' that the components of comunidades have no issue if the government is taking up the repair work. He, however, hastened to add that the government should hand over the building to the Components after the repairs and maintenance.
“The components of comunidades had on umpteen occasions expressed their willingness to take up the maintenance and repairs of the Administrator’s building. Some of the comunidade bodies had even made budgetary provision for the work,” Correia said.
He added: “If the government is taking up the maintenance and repairs work, we have no issues. Our only concern is that the ownership should not be diluted by the government.”
Claiming that the South Goa Administrator of Comunidades building was built with contributions from the Comunidade of Salcete on the land provided by the Margao Comunidade, Correia hoped that the government would hand over the building to the components after the maintenance and repairs.
To a question, Correia said the components of comunidades have not been taken into confidence by the government while floating the tender. He, however, hastened to add that the components had taken up the issue of repairs of the comunidades building at every meeting with the District Collector over the last two years.
The issue had also figured in the Goa Legislative Assembly two years ago when Aldona MLA Carlos Alvares put up a question on whether the government had taken the components of South Goa comunidade bodies into confidence before floating the tender for the repair work.
