MARGAO
It’s official. The components of South Goa comunidades on Monday conveyed a message loud and clear to the government that they would take up the work of repairs to the crumbling Administrator of Comunidades building instead of handing over the six-decade-old building to the government for maintenance.
The components, however, pointed out that repair work of the Administrator of Comunidades building will be taken up in phases, beginning with the roofing work.
The components of various Comundiades from South Goa had a meeting with the Administrator of Comunidades, Joao Fernandes at the Old Collectorate building on Monday morning. A resolution to this effect was adopted by the components at the meeting with the Administrator, which would be forwarded to the South Goa district Collector Jyoti Kumari in a day or two.
The administrator had invited the components of Comunidades for a meeting at the instance of the South Goa district Collector, following the recent announcement made by the PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral that the government is willing to take up the repair and renovation of the entire building on condition the components hand over the building to the government.
Sources said the components made it point blank clear to the Administrator Joao Fernandes that there is no question of handing over the building to the government for maintenance, saying the components would take up the repair work in phases.
Sources informed that the Administrator of Comunidade placed before the components the recent estimates prepared by the PWD for the repair and renovation of the building pegged over Rs two crore.
The PWD had earlier prepared estimates for the repair and restoration of the roofing of the building, pegged around Rs 35 lakh.
When contacted, the president of Margao Comunidade Celestin Norohna said the components have expressed their willingness to take up the work of the repair of the building by themselves. He said the components would take up the work in phases since it involves a huge cost running into over Rs two crore.
“We have conveyed a message to the Comunidade Administrator and the government not to worry about the repair of the building. We have all decided to take up the work of repairs to the building by ourselves,” Celestin told The Goan.
Sources said the components made it clear to the Administrator that the office of the Administrator of Comunidades and the land belongs to the Comunidades of Salcete. Sources further informed that the land in front of the Comunidade building, which is known as the Comunidade square, also belongs to the Comunidades of Salcete.
To a question about the repair and renovation of the entire building, Celestin said the components would take up the work of the roofing first since it involves a huge cost. “The renovation of the entire will be taken up in phases,” he said.
The administrator of Comunidades Joao Fernandes informed that the resolution adopted by the components at Monday’s meeting will be submitted to the South Goa district collector on Tuesday for further action. “The components have resolved that they will take up the repair and renovation of the Administrator of Comunidade building by themselves,” Joao added.
