The Osia Commercial Complex is a miserable example of a commercial complex despite having seven government offices that attract a large number of people.
According to information provided by the SGPDA, M/s Swapna Developers were allotted around 7750 sq mts of land by the South Goa Planning and Development Authority in lieu of constructing the spacious SGPDA market in the adjacent land.
In order to make the market functional seven government departments took up premises in the Osia Commercial Complex so that people visiting the offices could also visit the market. In all, the government offices occupied 3007 sq mts of the built-up premises in the complex.
The offices found in the complex are Road Transport Organisation, Town & Country Planning Department, South Goa Planning and Development Authority, Sales Tax and Excise Department. The District Registrar and Land Survey offices have since shifted to the Matanhy Saldanha Administrative Complex.
However, they still continue to use the premises in the Osia Complex as a godown while the District Registrar office’s portion is occupied by the Registrar of Co-operative Societies.
While one lift has broken down and needs repairs — which does not appear to be happening soon — the other lift is not being operated because of non-payment of the annual maintenance fees.
“The builder has not paid the maintenance fees for the lift and we have kept only one lift functional because people have to come to our offices,” said K Ashok Kumar, Member Secretary of SGPDA while admitting that the staircase is not people friendly and quite steep at places.
The entire complex has a shabby look because it has not been painted ever since it was constructed.
The builders, who had taken on the task of maintenance of the complex, had hired only one security guard and two sweepers who have since stopped cleaning the building. The security guard is more seen attending to the Inox theatre complex in the ‘A’ building.
Inspired by the Prime Minister’s Swachh Bharat programme, the government officials in the building, along with some others including Rotary Club, Green Goa and students undertook a cleanliness drive of the complex on Gandhi Jayanti last year.
That proved to be a blessing as the need for cleanliness for which maintenance was required was felt by those involved and thus began a movement to maintain the complex which has resulted in an Adhoc Maintenance Association being formed on March 3, 2017.
The Adhoc Maintenance Association has decided to engage two labourers on monthly basis for sweeping and cleaning the complex and also get M/s Swapna Developers to pay the maintenance fees to OTIS Elevators.
They also decided to get the inventory from M/s Swapna Developers of the people owning the shops or offices in the complex.
“Incidentally, the builder is not co-operating as he has not given the complete list of shop owners and has not mentioned how many are owned by him or leased by him,” said James Mathew the Senior Town Planner.
According to some of the stakeholders, the INOX cinema halls are posing a major problem for the complex as it puts tremendous pressure on parking area available for the shoppers and other visitors to the complex. The cinema goers’ vehicles are parked haphazardly and are an irritant for others.
The Association has also sought the help of Margao Municipal Council to maintain sanitation as many restaurants in the complex cause nuisance as the chambers are overflowing because of the waste flowing from these eateries.
Meanwhile, Umesh Churi owner of a restaurant in the complex while supporting the maintenance drive was skeptical of its success. “Many of the shops here were bought because the owners had money and that is why they are closed,” he said.
Faced with these problems many of the government servants working in the various offices have welcomed the suggestion of the TCP minister Vijai Sardessai to shift all government offices from the Osia Complex to another location, including the Matanhy Saldanha complex.
“The shift will definitely give us a better place to work as at least it will be clean,” said one senior government official who was truly dejected with the failure to bring about some system in the complex for its maintenance.
