PANAJI
The Goa Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu notice of the problems faced by senior citizens, women and persons with disabilities visiting government offices in the old Education Department building in Panaji. The issue arises due to the lack of basic accessibility facilities.
The Commission noted that the absence of a lift has caused significant hardship for visitors, especially those with mobility issues, who need to access offices in the building.
The Commission itself functions from the same premises, which also houses other government departments, including Women and Child Development and Prisons. Acting Chairperson Desmond D’Costa and Member Pramod Kamat on Wednesday issued a notice to the Principal Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department (PWD), seeking a detailed reply. He has also been asked to be present for a hearing on April 16 at 10.30 am.
The Commission is expected to examine why a lift has not been installed. The issue may also draw attention to accessibility problems in other government buildings in Panaji, such as the Social Welfare Department building, Junta House and Shram Shakti Bhavan, where lifts are often not working, causing inconvenience to visitors, especially the elderly and persons with disabilities.
