MARGAO: The lack of basic facilities at the Osia Commercial Arcade building in Margao, which houses several government departments, has upset visitors.
Speaking to O Heraldo, social activist Mahesh Naik said, “It is very sad that it has been five years and the lifts of the SGPDA building are still not working. It has two lifts. What is surprising is that whenever there is a meeting of the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) Board, the lift works; otherwise, it does not. The building has four floors, and many
offices of government departments are situated there. People, especially senior citizens, are facing difficulties in climbing stairs. The government must make the lifts operational as soon as possible.”
“Moreover, people urinate in the building at night, which makes it difficult for the shop owners to open their shops the next morning. The toilets are in pathetic condition. The government must give thought to the problem; otherwise, we will be forced to file a writ petition in the High Court,” Naik warned.
Hundreds of citizens who visit government departments, particularly the offices of the Assistant Director of Transport, Excise, Commercial Taxes, and SGPDA, are facing inconvenience due to the non-functional elevators. The elevators have not been repaired despite repeated requests, resulting in major hardships for citizens visiting the government offices located in the complex. The people are now demanding that the government either repair the lifts or shift all the government offices from the Osia Complex to another location.