MARGAO
Is the over century-old Margao Municipal building a heritage structure? Or, does the building fall in the city’s conservation zone? And, will the heritage and conservation aspects come in any way in making changes in the building to install a lift/elevator to the especially-abled citizens of the city to approach the first floor of the Margao Municipal building?
Well, these and other questions have been doing the rounds in the corridors of the Margao Municipality after the Disability Rights Association of Goa dashed of a letter to the Margao Municipal Chief Officer a week ago, with a plea to make the Municipal building accessible for persons with disability by installing a lift at the earliest.
In the letter, Association President Avelino de Sa drew the attention of the Chief Officer to the numerous complaints received from persons with disability that the Margao Municipal building is not accessible for persons with disability and the elderly as mandated under Section 46 of the Persons with Disability Act 1995. The Association further pointed out that Section 45 of the Rights of Persons with Disability Act 2016 mandates that all public buildings should be made accessible for persons with disability within five years of the Act being notified, which was done in 2017.
That’s not all. Avelino told the Chief Officer that heritage buildings are not exempted from the provisions contained in the Act as India is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability. “The Bombay High Court at Panaji, Maquinez Palace and Adil Shah Palace which are all heritage buildings have been made accessible for persons with disability and the elderly with the installation of lifts,” he stated in the letter.
Chief Officer Agnelo Fernandes has now requested the South Goa Planning and Development Authority to confirm whether the Margao Municipal building is a heritage building or not and whether it falls in the city’s conservation zone as per the planning body’s norms.
In his letter to SGDPA Member Secretary, the MMC Chief Officer pointed out that the MMC has resolved to provide better free access to the especially-abled citizens of Margao by installing lift/elevators for approaching the first floor of the building.
“To the best of our knowledge, neither the building is located in a conservation zone nor is it declared as a heritage building. Nonetheless, in fulfilling our commitment for providing bearer free access, the Council does not desire or to violate any of the provisions of PWD Act or to comply with the requisite permission etc,” the Chief Officer stated, reminding that Article 1 of the UN Convention on Rights of people with Disability includes access to heritage building and in terms of fundamental right to equity guaranteed under the Constitution of India.
