Cuncolim Municipal Council’s indoor sports multipurpose hall is crying for repairs for the last two years but the council is not bothered to repair it for want of funds.
Ten years back the council had constructed an indoor sports multipurpose hall at Maddicotto, Cuncolim. This indoor sports hall was constructed to provide facility for local youth, especially students, in indoor games like badminton, table tennis and also to provide mini gymnasium facilities.
For the last two years this indoor hall is leaking due to which the expensive wooden floor has been damaged and destroyed. Many locals are using this hall to play badminton but it has never been fully utilised for the last eight years. CMC has collected a fee for life membership but it has never allowed youngsters or local schools to make use of the facility.
It’s two years now the false ceiling has collapsed and it’s leaking from the top ceiling. CMC allowed the locals to use the hall by making cosmetic repairs. However, this year the leakage has increased to such an extent that the council has declared that they are not in a position to repair the hall.
In fact last year the Chief Officer had issued a notice to close down the hall for repairs and not to allow the locals to use it because it’s risky to play on the wet wooden floor. Due to the intervention of the then MLA, the CO withdrew his notice and allowed locals to use the hall. Now since the situation has deteriorated and turned more risky, the council has washed its hands of the responsibility and is also not closing the hall.
Some local players themselves put plastic covers on the ceiling to stop the leakage. They are demanding urgent repairs while the council sources say they are not getting enough income from the hall to maintain it. Some of the councillors told media that since a few locals are using the indoor hall like a private club why should the council bear the expenses. The Council is now planning to hand over this hall to the Sports Authority of Goa for maintenance with the former MLA Rajan Naik earlier requesting the same which was not done.
When the hall was inaugurated it had table tennis tables, badminton racquets besides equipment for other indoor games. However, all these have disappeared. At present it looks like a badminton hall rather than an indoor sports complex. One hopes though that the CMC will look into the matter and do the needful.
