Even if we consider ourselves in the best of physical form, it's normal to feel out of breath after climbing stairs. That's because our transitioning from a resting state to a high-intensity sudden exercise with anxiety to climb to the highest level of a building. Our body demands more oxygen to deliver to our muscles and hence we breathe heavily. This is what happens when one goes to SGPDA building at Margao, Salcete where the top fourth floor is occupied by the the office of the Town and Country Planning, South Goa Planning and Development Authority followed by Commercial Tax office on the third floor and Regional Transport Office on the second floor. The building is installed with two lifts which remain non-functional almost through the year. To reach to the top floor, one has to climb 58 steps which is an exhaustive task. Along the whole stair case, one can notice filth and “paan spit” donning the colours on the walls. The steps are normally occupied by some of the agents who are operating to fill forms and carry out paper work for the needy people.
SGPDA is always a busy area and the building housing these important government offices is frequented not just by young but mostly the elderly senior citizens including pregnant women. It has been a hectic exercise for those who are aged or with disabilities not counting the physically handicapped. Many make errands on a daily basis as we all know how frequent we have to visit these offices to get our legal chores done. It is shameful on the part of the government and the SGPDA authorities turning a blind eye to this saga of the people in general. How can the government expect these people to attend their official appointments with the authorities housed in this building?
Raising awareness on the non-functional of the building lifts, many a times the Press and the concerned citizens raised their voice which has been going over the deaf ears of the authorities.
The last Press Conference on the 14th of this month by the social activist Mahesh Dattaram Nayak, Savio Dias along with other renowned activists was seen as a hope for change but nothing has happened since then. The lifts remain shut and un-operational and citizens still face the same dilemma. Imagine a senior citizen reaches the office of the TCP and has to return back with xerox copies to the same office, half a day is lost climbing up and down several times. It is actually a waste of time, stressful moments for the citizens and one can even suffer a heart ailment due to this stress.
The government is busy inaugurating high profile publicity events but forgotten to ease the troubles of those suffering in these old buildings. Making the lifts operational and carrying out routine maintenance will solve half of the problems. Why can’t the government relocate these important offices to the Mathany Saldanha Administrative Complex on the ground floor area where there are several offices not frequented by the public like that of the Tourism Department, Election commission, EDC, etc? It is high time that the government has to think based on the welfare of the people and the senior citizens in general to ease their troubles and make administration people friendly.
The government should urgently depute its team and take action based on compassion and not demonstrate its lack of feeling and be a heartless government.