PANAJI
The Bombay High Court in Goa disagreed with the State government’s explanation that technical problems caused the air conditioning on the fifth floor of the Central Library to not work properly.
This issue was brought to the High Court’s attention despite spending Rs 1.89 crore to repair the AC, which still didn’t cool properly.
“The government has already spent nearly Rs 1.89 crore on the air conditioning, and this Court was told that everything was fine. So, it’s not right to make technical excuses and deny the library users the benefit of air conditioning. It’s not just about the users but also about maintaining the books and other important items in the library,” the High Court said.
The court was also told that there’s a problem with the attic floor, but until it’s fixed, four 4-ton tower ACs will be bought and placed there today. It’s expected that the installation will be done by 3rd May. This means the attic will be cool with these tower ACs by Friday, 3rd May 2024.
“In this matter, we have been given excuses in the past, which we were unable to appreciate. The Executive Engineer must file a compliance report on the 6th of May. We request the learned Amicus Curiae to visit the library on 4th or 5th May 2024 and apprise us of the status of the air conditioning in the attic. The Curator of the Central Library must render all assistance to the Amicus Curiae,” the High Court also said.
The High Court was discussing a case it initiated concerning the faulty AC at the central library. The AC problem risked damaging hundreds of important documents and manuscripts due to the hot, humid conditions.
