Collector allows tenants to remove goods, asks to submit stability certificate
Owners of business establishment removing their goods from the shops. Authorities sealed the staircase gate leading to the Holy Family House building near Cine Lata.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
A day after district Collector, Egna Cleetus issued an order to evict and seal the Holy Family House building near Cine Lata, Salcete Mamlatdar Vimod Dalal and his team on Thursday sealed the staircase leading to the building.
However, the tenants occupying the ground floor of the building and running commercial establishments have been given time to immediately remove the goods and other items from their shop.
A delegation of the tenants led by Sandeep Azrenkar along with Margao MLA Digambar Kamat had a meeting with the South district Collector Cleetus and Additional Collector, Ramesh Gaonkar in the district Collector on Thursday noon how to go about the sealing of the Holy Family House building.
The tenants made a plea to the Collector to permit them to carry out repairs to the building and enforce stability. The Collector advised them to approach the Margao Municipal Chief Officer for permission to repair the building.
She, however, made it amply clear that the district authorities will re-examine the entire matter only after the tenants submit the structural stability of the building before occupying the structure.
“Let them carry out the repairs with the permission of the Chief Officer. However, the tenants will have to submit a structural stability certificate certifying the building is safe,” she said.
The Collector added: “We will try and see how best to protect the interests of the tenants and also ensure that the interest of the passers-by and pedestrians on the road below the building are protected.”
Margao MLA Kamat told the media that the Collector has been very cooperative with the tenants as she has allowed them to remove the goods including perishable items such as vegetables from the shops. “They have also been allowed to carry out repairs to the building, but they will have to present the structural stability certificate,” Kamat added.
Sandeep Azrenkar later told the media that they will carry out repairs to the building in coordination with the building owner. “First, we will seek permission from the MMC to carry out the repairs,” he said.
