Vital documents are stored in the Mormugao Municipal Council and other government offices in Vasco, but are these records really in the safe custody of these offices?
Except for the offices of the Mormugao mamlatdar and deputy collector, none of the other govt offices in Vasco are equipped with fire extinguishers to tackle fire mishaps.What is more surprising is that the MMC — the authority which is expected to enforce the installation of fire extinguishers in offices and establishments in Vasco – is itself functioning without fire extinguishers for nearly 50 years.
With two recent fire mishaps in the municipal market, steps should have been initiated to safeguard the MMC and govt offices from similar fire mishaps. However, a visit to the MMC and other offices has revealed that the MMC as and other key govt offices, including the PWD, WRD, RTO, Excise and Civil Supplies, are not equipped with fire extinguishers.
Admitting that vital records could go up in smoke if a fire were to break out at the Vasco RTO, a RTO officer feared that a fire mishap could even have fatal consequences.“Our RTO office in Vasco is congested with files, staff and visitors. If any fire breaks out, our documents will be destroyed. Given the congested office space and narrow staircase, the staff and public could even die of suffocation,” the officer said.
“We are not authorised to procure fire extinguishers on our own. Our head office in Panjim should provide the extinguishers and train our personnel in operating them.”
The Civil Supplies section, which maintains relevant records of Mormugao taluka, has been functioning without fire extinguishers for several years. However, I will bring this to the notice of the Mamlatdar,” said Civil Supplies Inspector Mohan Kalangutkar.
Speaking to Herald on condition of anonymity, a MMC official confirmed that the council had been functioning without fire extinguishers since the past 45 years.“No one in the past felt the importance of installing fire extinguishers, at least in the accounts and the taxation sections. In fact, these sections are in dire need of fire extinguishers they are repositories of important public documents,” said the MMC official.“The new CO should seriously ponder over the safety of these documents and the computer section, where sensitive data is stored and he should ensure that fire extinguishers are installed before any mishap takes place,” the official added.
The lack of fire extinguishers is not restricted to the MMC and government offices alone. Though the installation of fire extinguishers has been made compulsory for every office and shop, virtually all shops in the MMC and the municipal modern markets do not possess the same.Commenting on this issue, the MMC official said: “Almost all shops in these markets have been sublet. As a result, the present occupant cannot apply for fire extinguishers as the owner does not give an NOC to the sub-lessee.”“Whenever we try to pull up shopkeepers for failing to install fire extinguishers, they immediately contact their councillors and go scot-free,” complained a MMC official.
When contacted, MMC CO, Megnath Porob assured to write to the fire department to inspect the MMC building and submit a report to ascertain how many extinguishers are needed to be installed in the building.
“I will direct the market inspectors to inspect the shops and direct them to install the fire extinguishers,” said Porob.
