Team Herald
MARGAO: Panic gripped the Matanhy Saldanha Administrative Complex, Margao on Thursday when a group of 14 taxi owners and a journalist were caught up inside a lift for 45 minutes.
The incident took place at 10 am when the tourist taxi owners had come to meet the TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai at the complex. All those were stranded inside the life were rescued by fire fighters after 45 minutes.
Alvario Fernandes, an office bearer of the Tourist Taxi Association who fell unconscious inside the lift, was hospitalised and was later discharged in the evening.
However, Additional Collector Roncon Pereira’s statement accusing “taxi owners of creating a tiatr-like scene” caught the TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai’s attention, who vowed to take action against the officer.
Vijai said that there has to be a proper audit of the entire services and systems of the district collector’s office. “I will pursue the matter and demand action against the Additional Collector for the way he spoke which is completely insensitive on his part,” he said.
The Matanhy Saldanha Administrative Complex which was commissioned seven years ago has 12 lifts of which 10 are working.
