Margao: How much more time will the government take to restore and repair the façade of the heritage Margao Urban Health Centre building, which had come crumbling down on July 8, 2023 forcing the Health Services to shift the health centre’s activities to the annex building in the Hospicio heritage complex.
After the collapse of the chajja of the annex building on Thursday, where the health centre was operating from since July 2023, the Urban Health centre has been again shifted to the Hospicio heritage building as a precautionary measure.
Questions raised over delay
The bigger question, however, remains unanswered – why is the government dragging its feet to give its sanction for the work to repair the Margao Urban health building till date?
Well, the PWD had floated the tender amounting to ₹13-odd lakhs last year soon after the Urban health Centre’s building façade had crumbled on July 8. However, since there was a lone bidder for the repair work, the PWD had forwarded the file to the headquarters to place the proposal before the State Works panel to take a call on the single bid.
It’s now months since the file has been pending before the panel, but no action has been taken till date, a result of which activities of the Margao urban health centre could not be brought back to the heritage building.
UHC building covered in blue sheets
Resultantly, the Urban Health centre building is still being covered with blue coloured tarpaulin sheets, which were put on the building to protect the structure from further damage during the monsoons.
“The PWD would have completed the repair work on the façade of the Urban health centre building had the state works panel decided on the single bid received for the repair work”, sources said.
A PWD official has now pinned hopes on Salcete's lone Minister Alexio Sequeira who has taken up the issue over the long delay to repair the washrooms in the imposing South Goa district Collectorate.
