Margao Municipal Council’s long-delayed multi-level parking project was mooted with the avowed objective to provide dedicated space for two and four-wheeler parking areas, but what may raise many an eyebrow is the mysterious inclusion of a restaurant proposal in the design and scope of the project.
What’s significant to note is that the multi-storied parking building, proposed just behind the Margao Municipal building at the old fish market, has no provision for space for a Municipal annex “office” in the project when the 118-year municipal heritage building is plagued by acute space constraints.
The provision of space for a restaurant in the multi-level concrete structure designed by the consultant-appointed by the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) has indeed come as a big surprise and may trigger a row of sorts. For, the original Margao Municipal Council’s resolution to hand over the execution of the parking project did not contain any proposal for a restaurant in the multi-level parking lot, with sources pointing fingers of suspicions at the “hidden hand” behind the inclusion of the restaurant.
The Goan understands that the resolution to hand over the multi-level parking project to GSUDA for execution was adopted by the Council during the tenure of former MMC Chairperson Lyndon Pereira. Sources, however, say the Council had neither deliberated nor approved any proposal to allocate space for a restaurant in the multi-level parking project. How the proposal to include a restaurant in the multi-level parking lot has cropped remains a mystery, sources pointed out. “We have no idea how the proposal to earmark space for a restaurant has now cropped up in the project’s scope and design. The restaurant issue, to my knowledge, was never discussed at the Council meeting,” remarked a councillor in the know.
Former Chairperson Lyndon has also expressed surprise over the inclusion of the restaurant proposal in the parking lot. “Leave alone taking a resolution in favour of the restaurant in the project, this matter (restaurant) was never discussed at the Council meeting,” Lyndon added.
Many had thought that the multi-level parking lot, besides making a provision for vehicular parking, will have a spacious office area to house the Margao Municipal office files and old records in view of the space constraints plaguing the MMC building.
In fact, one would come across during a casual round of the heritage building, cupboards stacking crucial documents and records dotting the Municipal corridors and passages.
Remarked a Municipal official: “The Portuguese-era Margao Municipal building was designed to cater to the period dating back 118 years ago. Things have changed and the building has now outlived its utility. Since the building enjoys a heritage status, no major changes can be effected in the building to increase the office space.”
The official added: “If there’s a will from the city fathers and the local MLAs, Digambar Kamat, Vijai Sardesai, a provision for an annex office space can be made in the multi-level parking lot, by earmarking a dedicated floor to accommodate old Municipal records and files. In fact, the multi-level parking lot can also be used as an annex building for the MMC heritage building to meet the civic requirements of Madgavkars for the next 100 years.”
Even assuming the restaurant project is mooted in the multi-level parking area to make the project self-sustaining, sources wondered whether a restaurant cannot take precedence over “office space” for the MMC building, which has been fighting and struggling for space to accommodate office files. “There’s no dearth of restaurants and hotels in the commercial capital. Instead of making a provision for a restaurant in the multi-level parking lot, the Margao Municipal Council do well to propose office space on one floor of the parking lot, to take care of the MMC space requirements for the next 100 years. For, the space proposed for the multi-level parking lot is the only space owned by the Municipal body and located just a stone’s throw away,” remarked a citizen.
