GUILHERME ALMEIDA
MARGAO
Blame it on government’s indecisiveness on the construction of the ultra-modern bus terminus at Margao, the staff rest rooms at the existing KTC bus stand, Margao are in a dilapidated state, with water seepage and soggy conditions literally the order of the day. The dilapidated structure itself has been a cause for concern, not only for the staff and employees, but visitors to the decades old building. A visit to the structure housing the rest rooms, canteen and the accounts office revealed the pathetic state of affairs. The plaster of the ceiling roof had come crashing down some days ago, raising questions on the structural stability of the structure.
Driver and conductors, who makes use of the rest rooms after a hard day’s labour, say they are not asking for state of the art accommodation, but rest rooms with are basic amenities, including leakage proof ceiling. When The Goan team visited the structure, it came across drivers and conductors taking rest on the floor for want of beds in a crammed room facing water seepage.
The drivers and conductors have been using one of the rooms as pantry, but the incessant rains have forced them to abandon the room and have their lunch or dinner in the adjoining room or along the corridors. The electrical wirings protruding out of the box pose constant danger to the employees due to water seepage. And, the surroundings in the vicinity of rest room, including the toilet block, give clear indication that all appears not well, raising questions whether Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s Swaach Bharat mission has any meaning for the KTC staff and employees.
Inquiries by The Goan have revealed that the dilapidated structure has not seen the turn around, primarily on the question of the long delayed construction of the ultra-modern bus terminus at Margao.
Inquiries revealed that whenever the question of renovating the existing structure had come up before the authorities, the proposal had failed to find favour on the lame excuse that spending a huge amount on renovation will be an exercise in utility when the ultra-modern bus stand proposal is pending with the government. “On one hand, the ultra-modern bus stand mooted by the Digambar Kamat regime, has been lying in cold storage, following the change in political guard, while the government is dragging its feet to take up the renovation on the plea why to spend tax paper’s money on a structure that will be razed down to make way for the ultra modern bus stand. This has been the government’s stand for the last four years, leaving the KTC employees high and dry”, remarked an employee.
When The Goan took up the matter with the depot Manager, Mr C A J Pereira, he only said the higher ups are seized of the matter, adding that solutions to structures cannot come overnight.
KTC Managing Director, Derek Neto conceded that renovation of the structure housing the employees’ rest rooms, canteen and accounts office could not be taken up for the reason that the government was opposed to spending huge amount on temporary renovation. “I fully agree that our drivers and conductors have to face accommodation problems at the Margao depot. They are certainly entitled for a descent rest room.”
