THE GOAN NETWORK
MARGAO
City-based NGO Madganvcho Ekvott has demanded to know whether the recent safety directions issued by the government under the Disaster Management Act on old buildings will also cover the Mathany Saldanha Administrative Complex, Hospicio Hospital Complex, Margao Ravindra Bhavan, District Library, Fire Station at Aquem, Old Collectorate, Government Rest House and many other structures including Government Primary Schools in Margao.
Convenor Prabhav Naik pointed out that these buildings were flagged by the Public Works Department as on August 2023 as deteriorating, seeking to know whether these directions will apply to all such structures posing a risk to government safety infrastructure.
Demanding a comprehensive structural audits been conducted after the August 2023 PWD assessment, he further demanded that the government place all such audit reports in the public domain. Citizens deserve full transparency on the safety status of government buildings they use and trust every day, stated Prabhav.
He added: “If no audits have been done so far, it points to a serious failure of duty. Who will be held accountable for the safety and lives of people who work, study, or access essential services in these ageing government structures? This silence from the authorities is deeply concerning.
He said the PWD had also flagged several other key government buildings such as the Government College at Borda, Urban Health Centre, Legal Metrology Office, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, PWD Office at Aquem, the District & Session Court, and the Civil and Criminal Court Building. These institutions are critical to the daily functioning of the city and need urgent structural verification and safety compliance, said Prabhav Naik.
