Serious con cerns have been raised over accessibility failures at the Matanhy Saldanha Administrative Complex in Margao, with a formal complaint alleging multi ple violations of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016. Panjim resident Vishant Nagvekar has written to the Collector and District Magistrate highlighting what he describes as gross non-compliance with stat utory accessibility norms in one of South Goa’s key government facilities. Cop ies of the complaint have also been sent to the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities and the Department of Empower ment of Persons with Dis abilities. According to the com plaint, several structural and administrative short comings continue to make the complex inaccessible to persons with disabili ties. Among the most se rious issues cited is the presence of a step lead ing to the lift access area from the basement park ing, effectively preventing wheelchair users from reaching elevators.
This, the complaint notes, is in direct violation of legal provisions mandating bar rier-free access in public buildings. The designated parking space for persons with disabilities has also come under scrutiny. It is report edly obstructed by a plastic pipe, lacks proper ground markings, and continues to display outdated and legally unrecognised ter minology. The complaint argues that such lapses not only violate statutory rules but also reflect insensitivity in public infrastructure man agement. Further concerns have been raised about inap propriate language used in signage within the complex, including terms not recognised under In dian disability rights law. The continued use of such terminology has been de scribed as inconsistent with principles of dignity and non-discrimination. In addition, accessible toilets at the facility are allegedly unusable, having been covered with pol ythene sheets. This, the complainant states, de feats the purpose of their construction and amounts to denial of access.
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The complaint also ques tions the broader effective ness of government-led accessibility awareness in itiatives, pointing out a gap between policy efforts and actual implementation on the ground. A set of corrective meas ures has been proposed, including installation of ramps with proper gradi ents, removal of obstruc tions in parking areas, replacement of non-com pliant signage, ensuring functional accessible toi lets, and conducting staff sensitization programmes. Authorities have been urged to take immediate action and ensure compli ance within a defined time frame. As of now, no official response has been issued regarding the allegations.
