MARGAO
With the South West monsoons nearing end and the State bracing up for a new tourism season, Madgavkars may have a simple question for the councillors as well as the government authorities – will these major landmark buildings, including a couple of heritage buildings at least receive a fresh coat of paint before the ensuing festive season.
Be it the 118-year old Margao Municipal heritage building, or the Margao Post office building or the adjoining South Goa Administrator of Comunidade building and the Old Collectorate building, all standing tall around the Margao Municipal square, they have been craving for attention for a long time now.
Leave alone major repairs and renovation, these buildings have not been painted for years now, as a result of which they have turned eyesore, literally, for want of attention from the authorities.
Margao Municipal building
The Margao Municipal heritage building has earlier this year completed 118 glorious years since the time the building was built during the Portuguese-era. The building was in the news recently after a concrete plaster had come crashing down on the building passage and the building reported water seepage inside during the monsoons. That the civic authorities used plastic sheets to cover the windows to stop rain water entering inside and partially covered the building roof with plastic sheets shows the state of affairs of the building.
Sadly, when questions are being raised in the corridors of the Municipal body over the pathetic condition of the heritage building, apt comes a reply from the councillors and Municipal babus that the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) will take up major renovation of the heritage building. Citizens have come across this reply in recent months, but the ground reality has remained unchanged.
Administrator of Comunidade building
This tall and imposing building located at a stone’s throw away from the Margao Municipal building has been craving for attention for over half a decade now. A casual glance at the building by a stranger to the city would shed light on the apathy and indifference of the authorities in the restoration of the building.
What has come as a shock and surprise to many citizens is that entry point to the closed building now plays host to plastic sheets and umbrellas by a group of hawkers. It’s unclear whether the office of the Administrator of Comunidade is aware of the ground reality right in front of the building or the office is dragging its feet to clean up the area.
The PWD had floated a tender to take up renovation work on the Comunidade building, but the tender has been stuck up in tender procedures.
Margao Post Office building
The paint on the outer building of the Margao Post Office has faded, giving a bad look for the heritage building. Citizens as well as postal officials have called for the renovation of the building and restore the post office to its rich glory.
When The Goan tried to find out from the postal officials on any plan to give the building a facelift with a fresh coat of paint, local postal authorities said only higher officials will be in a position to shed light on the renovation plan.
Old South Goa Collectorate building
It’s now a decade since the office of the Collectorate was shifted to the Matanhy Saldanha Administrative Complex. Sadly, the old Collectorate building standing tall at the Municipal Square has been craving for attention from the authorities.
After the shifting of the Collectorate to the Matanhy Saldanha Administrative complex, the Old Collectorate had lost its importance and lay in an abandoned state for some time. The building, however, now plays host to important offices such as the state-of-the-art FDA South Goa office, the election office housing the EVMs, the South Goa Zilla Panchayat, etc. Sadly, the building’s paint has faded to such an extent that it has turned into an eyesore.
