The ambitious project of Goa Government to provide housing to the men in uniform in the nearby locality of their place of work is in ruins and needs a total revamp before the project could be used for residential purpose.
Ever since the construction of the housing project, which comprises residential quarters, was constructed for housing needs of the policemen working at the Sanguem Police Station. Though the project was constructed way back in early 2000, a few quarters were occupied by the police officers working at Sanguem Police Station in the initial years of its completion. However, a couple of years later, the quarters were left unutilised and stand unoccupied as of date except for two quarters which are presently utilised by daily wage workers working in other departments.
Policemen, who initially stayed in the quarters claimed the building has no enough rooms for a family to stay comfortably. The quarters are constructed on the lines of single room tenements with an attached living room and kitchen which are fit to stay for single individuals and not for a family.
Moreover the quality of the construction work of the quarters is very poor and the quarters were reportedly found to be susceptible for leakage of monsoon water just after a couple of years after construction.
In a bid to reduce the cost of construction, the policemen who occupied the quarters for a brief period informed Herald that the contractor has made exclusive use of clay bricks as against the laterite stones. There is every possibility of the quarters facing a collapse any time, said a policeman who used the quarters when they were new.
In addition to the poor construction work and faulty design of the building structure, failure of the PWD authorities to conduct regular maintenance of the quarters is another reason for the men in uniform not to opt for the residential quarters at Sanguem. The electricity cables in the quarters are worn out and need a total revamp before the quarters could be put to use all over again.
The policemen also pointed out to the wild overgrown trees surrounding the police quarters. Even during the stay of the policemen in the quarters, the trees surrounding the premises were hardly cleaned and the families of the policemen, who once resided in the quarters, had to live in constant fear of reptiles and other wild creatures entering the premises.
The place, where the quarters are constructed, is ideal and is well suitable for the cops to reside with their families. However, the faulty design in the building structure coupled with lack of proper maintenance by PWD, have left the quarters unutilised for past many years, thereby making the quarters susceptible for damages over the passage of time.
