MARGAO
Deficiency of services by government departments took the centre stage at the meeting of the South Goa District Consumer Protection Council on Wednesday with consumer activists demanding action in a timely manner.
Shortage of KTC buses, resulting in overcrowding of buses which in turn has given rise to harassment of commuters also came up for discussion. Questions were raised at the meeting why the Deputy Director of Transport, South is not sitting in the Margao office, but is made to attend to duties in Panaji also came up for discussions.
In fact, the meeting chaired by Additional Collector, Uday Prabhudesai and attended by representatives of various government departments saw a host of issues raised and deliberated by the consumer activists. GOACAN Coordinator Roland Martins raised the issue whether the Fire Services have conducted the fire audit of the high rise government buildings in the district.
A representative of the Fire Services was requested to write to the departments to conduct the fire audit in a time bound manner.
Martins also wondered why the Deputy Director, Transport, who is mandated to sit at the Margao office, is asked to report to the Panjim head office. In the absence of a deputy Transport director, consumers are put to severe hardships, he pointed out.
The issue of the mushrooming number of coaching classes also came up for discussion, wherein members questioned whether all the coaching classes are registered under the Act. Members pointed out that coaching classes are being conducted on mezzanine floor, demanding to know whether the coaching centres have the requisite nod from the fire services.
Questions are raised whether the concerned department have taken cognisance of the fowls imported from the neighbouring states and kept for sale along the footpaths.
Consumer activists called for the removal of all old and unwanted BSNL telephone poles lying from the edge of the roads as they are no longer required.
