MARGAO
Components of South Goa Comunidades have expressed strong reservations to PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral’s plea to hand over the Administrator of Comunidade building to the government for maintenance, with the components firmly ruling out the question of handing over the building to the government.
They, however, are open for an audience with the PWD Minister to find out what plan Cabral has in mind to renovate and restore the over 60-year old building from crumbling down for want of maintenance.
The PWD had told the media on the sidelines of the Goa Liberation Day programme at the South Goa Collectorate that the government is ready to step in to repair, renovate and restore the South Goa Administrator of Comunidade building if the Comunidades hands over the building to the government.
The PWD Minster’s statement seemed to have not gone down well with the Comunidade components, with components firmly ruling out the question of handing over the building to the government.
Margao Comunidade Attorney Celestin Norohna said there’s no question of handing over the Administrator of Comunidade building to the government. “We have no idea what plan Nilesh Cabral has to restore the building. He has only said that estimates are being prepared for a complete overhaul of the building”, he said.
Celestin added: “Assuming that the estimates runs into several lakhs of rupees, the question that comes into is that the Comunidades cannot foot the huge bill. In that case, the PWD Minister may want the components to hand over the building to the government for maintenance. The question of handing over the building to the government is totally ruled out since the components are owners of the building”.
To a question, Celestin said the components will come to know the exact proposal the PWD Minister has to restore the Comunidade building. “The PWD Minster has announced that the government has revised the GSR rates. In such a situation, we do not have any idea how much would be the estimated cost of the repair and renovation project”, he said.
Celestin pointed out that the components want the building to generate revenue through rent to the components. “The building comprises of two floors with vast space. Since the building is located in the city’s prime locality, the Components want to tap the revenue potential by way of rent”, he said.
With the Margao Municipal Council and the government proposing two multi-level parking projects at the old fish market and at the pick-up stand, both a stone’s throw away from the Administrator of Comunidade building, sources said that parking will no longer be an issue for the building in the future.
The Goa College of Engineering had conducted a structural stability test of the over 60 year old building around three years ago, certifying that the building is safe and had recommended certain measures to strengthen the building. The report, however, had gathered dust in the record books of the government departments, before the components called for preparation of the estimates to take up repairs of the building.
While the PWD had prepared the estimates to take up repairs of the roof and other aspects of the building, the PWD Minister had earlier this month announced plans to prepare fresh estimates for an overhaul of the building.
