S Goa Communidade bldg; no estimate yet for repairs

MARGAO
The state has experienced pre-monsoon showers in the last couple of days, but there’s no sign of the South Goa Administrator of Communidade building “ the seat of Salcete Communidades, getting a protective cover from the rains.

Sheer apathy and indifference of the powers that be has left the imposing building right in the heart of the Commercial capital unattended over the last couple of years. Hopes that a structural stability report compiled by the Goa College of Engineering will give a fresh lease of life to the building have all been dashed. In fact, the report has been gathering dust in the corridors of the revenue department for want of any action.

The GEC had two years ago submitted a detail structural stability report to the Administrator’s office, giving an insight over the building stability and preparing a road map how to go about restoring the city’s prominent landmark.

Sadly, doubts are being raised over the preparation of the estimates for the repair work, leave alone taking up the renovation work. When The Goan sought to ascertain the fate of the proposal received from the components of Communidades to restore the building out of its own funds, a senior officer said the Public Works Department (PWD) hasn’t yet submitted details of the estimates till date, promising to send a staffer to the PWD to find the status.

Take note, it’s now over two months since the components of Communidades from Salcete had expressed its willingness to take up the repair and restoration work, but the estimates from the PWD are yet to come in till date.

Attorney of Aquem Communidade Celestin Norohna lamented that government’s apathy and indifference of the staff associated with the Administrator’s has resulted in the sorry state of affairs. “The Communidade components had all volunteered to undertake the repair work, especially the building roof to prevent seepage of rain water during monsoon. We have no idea whether the PWD has prepared estimates for the repair work”, Celestin said.

He added: “We were waiting for the Administrator’s office to tender the work to ensure transparency, even though the components would foot the repair expenses, but in vain”.

The Structural stability report had made a host of recommendations, including removal of the present existing roofing system and replaced by double skin insulated system, covering the entire building.

The report has underscored the need to remove the false roofing its replacement, pointing out that the false roofing stands totally damaged. Removal of the slab concrete and its replacement by a light flooring support by steel section was amongst the recommendations contained in the report.