The roof of the agriculture office at Santacruz-Ponda came crashing down on Friday night, prompting authorities to shift the office to the Agriculture Marketing Board building at Bethora.
A major tragedy was averted as the roof fell at night and not during the office hours, which is usually abuzz with activity as office staff attend to farmers and others from all over Ponda taluka.
When some employees went to the office on Saturday morning, they found the roof had fallen down.
The office was then shifted to the Agriculture Marketing Board building at Bethora. All farmers in the taluka will now have to visit the office at Bethora.
According to sources, the building had been dilapidated and not repaired on time. The office is expected to remain in the new place till the old building is repaired or new building is constructed.
Speaking to reporters, Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik the agriculture department office building was very old and the process of constructing a new building in its place was initiated. “The new building would be built at the cost of Rs 5 crore. The file has been moved to the Chief Minister’s office for approval,” said Naik.
Naik also said PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral must visit the sewage treatment plant at Ponda, because with the first rain showers, vehicles had to travel over sewage water near the old bus stand.
