CALANGUTE: The lives of tourists visiting the Fort Aguada Jail Museum complex could be in danger because of the dilapidated old jail staff quarters which are on the verge of collapsing, according to Candolim panchayat members.
The staff quarters had been abandoned more than a decade ago after the central jail was shifted to new premises at Colvale. The abandoned buildings are located near the entrance of the Fort Aguada Jail Museum complex at the former central jail.
Candolim panchayat member Fermino Fernandes said they have repeatedly written to the State government to demolish the buildings as they might collapse at any moment.
“But nothing has been done. Nobody is staying there and they have been abandoned. They are now in a very bad condition and will collapse. If they collapse it will be a major disaster because people park their cars there,” he said.
The old Portuguese Fort Aguada jail complex had been abandoned after the new Colvale central jail started functioning around 10 years back. Later, following demands, the old Portuguese jail, being a heritage structure, had been renovated along with the rest of Fort Aguada at a cost of Rs 30-cr under the Central government’s Swadesh Darshan scheme a few years ago and later converted into a museum dedicated to the freedom struggle. However the staff quarters, being a newer structure, had been left abandoned and left to decay.