MARGAO: The Carmona village panchayat will undertake renovation of the heritage house that currently houses the Rural Medical Dispensary and balwadi, if the concerned departments do not undertake repairs of the premises given the fact that its false ceiling is threatening to collapse.
The premises were jointly inspected by officials of Education Department that own the premises, Health Services that runs the Rural Medical Dispensary and Women and Child Development Department that runs the balwadi, along with the Carmona village panchayat and some villagers.
It was observed that the entire false ceiling of the house is buckling as the wood had absorbed water and threatens to collapse, if not attended to immediately.
Besides, old cupboards of the Education Department are seen occupying space, which could have otherwise been better utilized.
What was glaring was the amount of scrap belonging to the Education Department that was lying in the premises and unnecessarily occupying space.
The villagers also pointed out that a medical officer has not been appointed for the Rural Medical Dispensary for the past two years and people have to make do with a visiting doctor, who comes in only for half-a-day on two days of the week.
Chinchinim Health Centre’s Medical Officer Nixon Martins Fernandes revealed that the PWD has already prepared an estimate of around Rs 4.20 lakhs to repair the false ceiling, provide a sloping roof to the toilet and paint the premises.
“Financial sanction is awaited and once that is received the government will be in a position to take up the work,” he said asking the panchayat members to take up the matter with the government.
As for the appointment of the medical officer, he expressed helplessness pointing out that it was for the government to deal with the matter. “I have been sending a report every month mentioning the vacancies existing in the health centre, including that of the Rural Medical Dispensary,” he said.
Ratan Phadte from the Women and Child Development Department said her department has already asked the PWD to prepare the estimates for the repairs of the roof tiles and a partition for setting up the kitchen.
Amita Naik from the Education Department, while pointing that maintenance of the premises was the responsibility of the departments using it, assured that the scrap material and cupboards belonging to the Education Department would be cleared soon.
Panchayat member Allwyn Jorge who represents the ward where the house is situated also asked that the banyan trees in the compound be cut down to prepare place to set up children’s park that would be used by the children coming to the balwadi.
Goan parents do not wish to send their children to the balwadi because of the lack of facilities there, he said emphasizing the need to improve the premises to attract more people.
Incidentally of the 14 children enrolled in the balwadi only one is a child of local Goans, while the others are migrants’ children.
