MARGAO
Saxttikars on Wednesday repeated their fervent plea to the BJP-led government again “ to please shift the departments such as the TCP, Transport, Excise, Sales Tax, district Registrar etc from the Osia commercial complex to the Matanhy Saldanha Administrative complex in the South district Collectorate.
Reason. Citizens, including the elderly, have not been spared of the long ordeal in climbing the stairs to make it to these government offices, including the TCP office located on the fourth floor of the imposing commercial complex for want of a lift. The lift has been non-functioning over the last many months, leaving citizens having official works in these departments, with no option than to climb the stairs.
In fact, it’s not uncommon to find citizens cursing the leaders who had around a decade ago, were instrumental in purchasing space in the private commercial complex to house the government departments.
And, they question Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who holds the Excise portfolio, Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho and TCP Minister Vishwajit Rane, why they have left the citizens to the mercy of a commercial complex with none of the departments under their control taking the initiative to repair or replace the defunct lift to the building.
These three Ministers, citizens say, need to play their due role in mitigating hardships their hardships, since the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) had initiated an exercise to get all the government departments as well as private offices functioning in the Osia complex to contribute funds towards the procurement of a new lift and for its upkeep and maintenance.
“Where’s the General Administration Department”, is a oft-asked question at the Osia Commercial complex as citizens blame the government for protecting the interests of citizens the departments in the complex.
Citizens recalled that former Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar, in his third stint in office as Chief Minister, had mooted maintenance of the lifts in the Osia commercial complex via the General Administrative Department (GAD), but in vain.
The complex witnessed an uproar on Wednesday after citizens questioned the delay in repairing the defunct lift. Cavelossim Sarpanch Dixon Vaz, who had official work at the TCP office on Wednesday, said people of Salcete have been left to fend for themselves, in the absence of a Captain from the taluka to take up grievances of the citizens. “My panchayat will write to the district Collector, South to immediately intervene and save the people from this order. If not, let the government shift all these departments to the Matanhy Saldanha Administrative complex”, Dixon demanded.
