MARGAO
The imposing South Goa Administrator of Comunidades building, a prominent landmark in the heart of the commercial capital, is in the news over the dilapidated structure, broken windows, water seepage et al for want of upkeep.
The building is presently under lock and key after the office was shifted to the Old Collectorate building around three years ago.
But, hold on. Important documents, including files, records, plans of illegal construction, aframento, comunidade records, and allotment/grant of comunidade land are still stored inside the building. If one goes by the reply of Revenue Minister Atanasio Babush Monserrate in the ongoing legislative assembly, all does not seem well with these records stacked inside the building.
Monserrate answered in the positive to a question whether it is a fact that the archives and old records of the Administration of Comunidade of South Zone are abandoned in a dilapidated office building that is in urgent need of repairs.
To another question when asked to furnish the details of all old records that are kept in the dilapidated office building, the Minister said files/records/plans of illegal construction, aframento, comunidade records, allotment/grant of comunidade land etc. are stored inside the said building.
What’s shocking to note is that the status of the documents remains unknown. For, the Minister, in his reply stated that no such inspections were carried out for the last three years when asked for the details of all inspections of the said archives and old records conducted by the Administrator of Comunidade, South in the last three years.
That’s not all. The government has no plans to preserve and protect the records stored in the building. Monserrate, in his reply, pointed out that there is no such proposal under consideration when asked whether the government will consider handing over the Old Comunidade records to the Archives Department for conservation.
When further asked to shed light on the steps taken to protect the records from the vagaries of nature, fire, theft etc, the Minister replied that the files/records/plans are stocked separately and the premises are locked.
The building has been in the news since the six-decade-old structure has been craving attention from the government. Recently, the government had floated a Rs 2.11 crore tender for the repairs of the building, but the date to submit bids had to be extended due to poor response.
A visit to the building would reveal that the structure has been under lock and key, leaving the comunidade components and citizens to wonder about the state of affairs inside.
“It’s a fact that the office of South Goa Administrator of Comunidades is functioning from the Old Collectorate building. But, was it not the duty of the officials and staff of the Administrator’s office to open the structure to find out the state inside and to ascertain the status of the records?” remarked a component of the comunidades.
Call to preserve records for posterity, safeguard land of comunidades
MARGAO
Expressing shock over the government’s reply in the Assembly over the old documents and archives housed in the Administration office of Comunidades South, Attorney of Margao & Aquem Comunidades Celestin Norohna has underscored the need to preserve these records for posterity and safeguard the land assets of the comunidades.
He said the archive of the office is a storehouse of invaluable documents and records pertaining to Comunidades of South Zone, especially those of land grants over the years.
“These records are largely of the comunidades that are sent to the Administration office after completion of the transaction. These records must be preserved for posterity and to safeguard the land assets of the comunidades. It is surprising that no administrator has inspected the archives in the last several years, which is an indicator of the paralysis and negligence in his office,” Celestin said.
It is also pertinent to note that an amount of Rs 84,000 has been recovered from the comunidades annually over the last three years for “maintenance of archives”, with Celestin demanding to know how this much of this money was spent for the intended purpose.
“I have been receiving several complaints from comunidade components and the public that staff at the Administration Office is not obliging to retrieve records from the archives being kept in the abandoned building near Lohia Maidan, except for extraneous considerations. There have been instances wherein RTI requests for access to the records have been rejected on grounds that they were very old and not available,” he said.
He added: “The components in South Goa have been demanding that the records be handed over to the Archives Department. By doing so, the old records would also be easily accessible to all. However, I have sensed an indifference on the part of the Administration office to this proposal, for reasons best known to them.”
