PANJIM: PWD Chief Engineer Uttam Parsekar was caught off guard, literally, as he was found enjoying loud music in his Altinho office when a surprise visit from Congress president Amit Patkar and his team struck a discordant note, seeking an explanation to the department’s alleged neglect of heritage sites and government buildings.
After the incident of collapse of a ceiling in Social Welfare Department, the Congress delegation comprising Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Amit Patkar and other party leaders namely Adv Shriniwas Khalap, Vishal Volvoikar, Vivek D’Silva, Rajan Ghate, Pelajia Pires, Socorina Afonso and others questioned Parsekar over the failure of the PWD to undertake safety and structural audits and repair works of the Government buildings which were declared as “deteriorating and in dilapidated condition” by the PWD in 2019.
However, Parsekar was found listening to loud music in his chamber, which continued even after the Congress delegation started narrating the issue to him. Eventually, annoyed Congress workers compelled PCE Parsekar to stop the loud music.
Congress President Amit Patkar produced replies given to Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao by the PWD and General Administration Department (GAD) clearly stating that the Social Welfare Department office building in Panjim was declared as unsafe in 2019.
“It is unfortunate that the PWD did not do anything except doing some minor repairs knowing fully well that the said building is occupied by almost 250 Officials. In addition to them, Persons with Disabilities, senior citizens, women visit the building regularly,” Patkar said.
The Congress demanded to undertake immediate structural and safety audits and repairs of all the government buildings and warned to launch a larger agitation if the PWD fails to take appropriate action.
Patkar also told the PWD officials that Congress MLAs will raise the issue in the upcoming monsoon session of Goa Assembly starting from July 15.
