MARGAO: The Right of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 mandates that all the public buildings should be accessible to persons with disabilities (PwD). However, this vital issue pertaining to making the Margao Municipal building accessible to the persons with disabilities has been sidelined for several years as even Chief Officer Agnelo Fernandes, besides several other persons with disabilities are struggling to gain access to the municipal building. It appears that the laws related to the heritage structure have created major hurdles in providing access to persons with disabilities.
Herald found that the Chief Officer, who is a person with disability, has been trying hard to manage the situation since October, 2020. Shockingly, his efforts to make Margao municipal building accessible to the persons with disabilities have gone in vain. His pleas to make the building accessible to PwD were rejected by the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) which cited that the municipal building comes under the heritage site category.
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It is pertinent to note that with no access to persons with disabilities, such persons find it difficult to make their way into the Margao Municipal building to avail the required services.
The municipal building, which is a two-floor heritage structure, lacks the access facility for the persons with disabilities.
It has also come to light that the Chief Officer is forced to take the help of a municipal worker to use the staircase on a daily basis. He even avoids moving in the building on account of no access for persons with disabilities.
Speaking to Herald, Chief Officer Agnelo Fernandes admitted that as per the law the municipal building needs to be accessible to the persons with disabilities.
“This is a vital issue and the concerned authorities need to look into it with seriousness. Taking into consideration the prevailing situation here I had sought permission from the SGPDA to allow the civic body to have some facility in the building but it rejected my application twice,” he said.
He said the concerned authority cited the reason as heritage site, as no changes are allowed in heritage buildings.
“I can understand the difficulties of persons with disabilities who are facing hardship due to lack of facilities for them in the municipal building. I even tried to shift my cabin to the ground floor to give my best service to the persons with disabilities and even to the senior citizens but with no required facilities I was forced to drop the plan,” he added.
Councillor Camilo Barretto opined that the MMC, which is a public building, should be accessible to the persons with disabilities.
“We have personally seen the hardship faced by the persons with disabilities and even by our Chief Officer. The concerned authority should allow the civic body in making provisions taking into consideration the prevailing situation”, he said.
He said the civic body needs to take resolution in this regard at the earliest and forward it to the government.
“Making public buildings user-friendly for the persons with disabilities is a matter of legal right. No doubt the municipal building is a heritage structure; however there are several options and different types of lifts that can be explored, without harming the structure “, said Savio Coutinho, former chairperson.
He said the additional flooring over the wooden planks didn’t suit the heritage structure.
