PONDA: Despite the Ponda Municipal Council (PMC) issuing notices to vacate the dilapidated Shastri Hall building in Ponda, four shops owners continue to conduct business on the ground floor of the structure, which was declared “unsafe and dangerous” three years ago.
The 50-year-old Shastri Hall building poses risk to the shop owners and commuters as no efforts have been made to demolish the old structure.
Three years ago, the Ponda Municipal Council (PMC) invited the Goa Engineering College (GEC) team to conduct the structural stability test. The team in its report declared the building as “unsafe and dangerous”.
However, despite declaring the building as unsafe, four shop owners are still doing business thereby putting themselves and customers at risk.
According to Pondaites, the plaster has peeled off; the rusted iron rods stand exposed, indicating that the building may collapse any moment.
PMC chairperson Shantaram Colvekar said, “The Shastri Hall building has four shops on the ground floor and the Shastri Hall on second floor which is in a dilapidated condition. Following the stability test report in 2017 by Goa Engineering College team declaring it as unsafe, the municipality had issued notices to shop owners directing them to vacate the building.”
“PMC even shifted its municipal library at Upper Bazaar in the new market complex. The four shop owners were directed to temporarily shift to market complex till the new PMC Golden Jubilee building is complete. However, the shop owners are not ready to shift. We will take legal advice on initiating action at the earliest” Colvekar said.
