the goan I network
MARGAO
As promised, the office of the Administrator of Comunidades, South Goa has finally been shifted to the Old Collectorate ahead of the monsoons, but issues plaguing the 50-year-old building and administration remains unresolved.
Housed on the first floor of the old Collectorate as a stopgap arrangement, the shifting of the office is expected to give relief to the comunidade staff from rains and to protect the vital records from damage and destruction. The very existence of the five-decade-old building, which is one of the major landmark in the commercial capital along with the century-old Margao Municipal Council building hangs in balance.
A tree atop the building symbolises the utter neglect and decay of the imposing building. While the office of the Administrator of Comunidades stands shifted to the Old Collectorate, none of the authorities, including the South Goa Comunidade Administrator has shown any urgency in cutting the tree. And, neither the elected representatives, including TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai, nor Margao MLA Digambar Kamat, nor Margao Municipal Council chairperson Babita Angle Prabhudesai and the city councillors have intervened to get the tree cut and clean up the premises of vegetation and plants when they all
tom-tom in the city to keep the city clean.
Sources in the know say it would take even half a day to remove the tree and clean up the premises, but none of the government agencies have thought it prudent to clean up the building “ a major landmark in the city visited by hundreds of visitors every day.
During his last visit to the city around a month ago, Revenue Minister Rohan Khaunte had announced that the government will take a call on the repairs and renovation of the South Goa Administrator of Comunidade building after a meeting with TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai and the stakeholders. A component of Comunidades from South Goa demanded to know why the Revenue Minister cannot issue direction to the demolition squad, South “ responsible to arrange and mobilise various agencies for demolition -- to remove the tree growing atop the building.
Secondly, comunidade employees pointed out that their problems arising out of delay in the payment of salaries is far from over. While the government had in the past cleared the salary payments last year, employees claimed that the salary dues have now piled up for the last eight months, making a plea to the Revenue Minister to work out a mechanism wherein the salaries are disbursed on a month basis.
