MARGAO
Will PWD Minister and Margao MLA Digambar Kamat inspect the dismantled pieces of the antique Portuguese-era chandeliers lying stacked inside a cupboard in the Margao Municipal building and direct the civic administration to restore the heritage lights to their original place in the historic Municipal Hall?
The question is doing the rounds in the corridors of the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) ahead of Kamat's weekly Janata Darbar, scheduled in the Municipal Hall on Tuesday.
Ironically, despite holding regular public hearings in the hall, the absence of the four antique chandeliers from the ceiling has reportedly not attracted the Minister's attention so far. Municipal sources, however, say Tuesday's visit presents an opportunity for Kamat to obtain first-hand information about the fate of the dismantled chandeliers, whose components have been lying in a cupboard since 2022.
The Portuguese-era chandeliers had adorned the Municipal Hall since the colonial period and were regarded as an integral part of the heritage character of the iconic civic building. Their disappearance from the hall has become a matter of concern among municipal officials and heritage enthusiasts alike.
According to sources, an inspection by the Minister is necessary because the MMC administration has yet to take a final decision on restoring the chandeliers by reassembling the dismantled pieces. The issue has remained unresolved despite repeated discussions within municipal circles.
Restoration of the heritage fixtures is expected to involve substantial expenditure. Sources said the private agency that had been entrusted with the repair work by the previous Municipal Council—allegedly without inviting tenders or quotations—had prepared a rough estimate of nearly Rs 2 lakh for completing the restoration.
Current MMC officials admit they have little information about how the contractor was selected without following the standard tendering or quotation process. The lack of official records and clarity over the earlier decision has further delayed any move to revive the project.
Sources further claimed that the agency had managed to restore only three chandeliers by joining parts from the remaining dismantled units. As a result, the remaining chandelier could not be repaired because of the shortage of original components as well as the lack of funds to procure replacements.
Municipal officials fear that unless the administration takes an early decision, the dismantled components stored in the cupboard could deteriorate or even disappear over time, leading to an irreversible loss of valuable heritage property.
"The Minister had played a key role in renovating the Margao Municipal heritage building during its centenary celebrations around two decades ago. More recently, he has once again used his position as PWD Minister to facilitate the renovation of the Municipal building through GSUDA. Given his longstanding association with the heritage structure since he became a councillor of the Margao Municipal Council around four decades ago, Kamat can certainly direct the MMC administration to initiate the restoration of the chandeliers by following due process, either through open tenders or by inviting quotations," a municipal official said.
The official added that timely intervention would not only restore an important architectural feature of the Municipal Hall but also safeguard an irreplaceable part of Margao's civic heritage for future generations.
