Latest news with #MargaoMunicipalCouncil
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Licensing flaw makes unsafe Margao structures shakier
Margao: The South Goa collector's recent order to demolish two unsafe buildings in Margao exposed a loophole in the municipal licensing system. There is a possibility that many other condemned structures not only continue to house businesses with valid trade licences, but also accommodate new ones by granting fresh trade permits, creating potential death traps for unsuspecting owners and customers. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The Margao Municipal Council (MMC) served notices to 56 buildings in the town under Section 190 of the Goa Municipalities Act, a provision that empowers municipal authorities to deal with structures 'in ruins or likely to fall'. Yet, the council's automated online licensing system may have granted trade permits to businesses operating within these buildings earmarked for demolition. The root of the problem lies in the digitised trade licensing process. Once applicants upload the required documents online, licences are processed and issued within days, with no mandatory site inspection. This provision, designed to ease business operations, has created a situation where businesses can legally operate in buildings that may have been marked as unsafe. Former chief officer Gaurish Shankhwalkar found this loophole while processing the revocation of a trade licence for a ground-floor unit in a building marked for demolition on Isidorio Baptista Road. The business owner claimed complete ignorance of the building's condemned status, highlighting how the current system fails to flag public safety threats. 'Section 190 of the Goa Municipalities Act serves as the primary tool for municipal authorities to address dangerous structures. It requires owners or occupiers to 'pull down, secure, remove or repair' buildings deemed hazardous. However, the provision's effectiveness is undermined when the same authority permits commercial activities within these condemned spaces,' a business lawyer told TOI . Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Adding to the concern is a discrepancy in official records. While the MMC is known to have issued notices to 56 buildings under Section 190, only 21 structures made it to the official list of unsafe buildings submitted to the district collector last week. Locals said the discrepancy means that scores of potentially dangerous structures remain off the official radar. Shankhwalkar had directed the technical department to place clear identification marks on all unsafe buildings. The move was aimed at preventing future licensing errors. However, since his transfer, the directions haven't been acted on. A senior MMC official said that a supplementary list of pending cases of unsafe buildings was being prepared and will be submitted to the district collector soon.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Francisco Luis Gomes' ancestral house to be restored soon: Min
Margao: Minister for archives and archaeology, Subhash Phal Dessai, on Saturday said that his department would soon take steps towards the restoration of the ancient house of the Goan freedom fighter Francisco Luis Gomes, which now lies in a ramshackle condition. He also mentioned that he would personally inspect the house located at Colmorod, Navelim. 'I will ensure that the house is not only restored to its original glory but also becomes a symbol of inspiration for the younger generation to imbibe the values the great leader stood for and learn about all that he did for his motherland,' Phal Dessai said. He made these statements while addressing the gathering at a function held to commemorate Gomes's birth anniversary. Known as the 'prince of intellectuals', Gomes, who represented Goa in the Portuguese parliament, was also a historian, an economist, a doctor, and a writer. He died in 1869. Withstanding the ravages of time and vagaries of nature, Gomes's ancestral house, which is perhaps the last remaining vestige of his legacy, has served as a testimony to his life and works. After TOI first highlighted the condition of this dilapidated house in a report on May 31, 2009, the Margao Municipal Council (MMC), in its council meeting held on Nov 5, 2009, passed a resolution to 'acquire the old house…and conserve the same for future generations.' While the resolution has been gathering dust ever since, the house has so far survived the eyes of the land sharks. Further, Phal Dessai said, 'Prior to Goa's liberation movement, it was Dr Francisco Luis Gomes who raised his voice in the Portuguese parliament for the liberation of Goa. He used to argue passionately for civil liberties, educational reforms, economic development, and justice. He was one of the earliest Indian leaders to talk about the rights of colonised people, not just in Goa but across India.' Former Navelim MLA Luizinho Faleiro, South Goa collector Egna Cleetus, and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Another building parapet crashes in Margao within 24 hrs
Margao: Just a day after a portion of a parapet collapsed near Gandhi Market, here, another dilapidated structure in the town suffered a similar collapse on Saturday. A part of the parapet of the first floor of Antao Apartments, located near Cine Lata, gave way around 6am. However, no casualties were reported. The area is usually bustling with activity and the building houses several shops on the ground floor, however as the incident occurred early in morning, a tragedy was averted. Police cordoned off the area to ensure public safety. Margao MLA Digambar Kamat inspected the site and took stock of the situation. The Saturday incident follows Friday's structural failure at Pimpalkatta, where debris from an upper-floor parapet damaged multiple vehicles parked below. Market traders have consistently flagged safety concerns about dilapidated structures in the town. The collapses point to a public safety threat posed by aging buildings. While the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) has catalogued 22 hazardous structures, the building that suffered a parapet collapse on Friday was not on the list. Urban planning experts cite the 1968 Goa Buildings (Lease, Rent & Eviction) Control Act as a key obstacle to property maintenance and redevelopment. The outdated legislation perpetuates a system where monthly rents remain frozen at Rs 20-50 from decades past, while repair and maintenance expenses have multiplied manifold. While this disparity eliminates financial motivation for property owners to invest in structural improvements, tenant occupancy rights remain protected irrespective of building conditions. They have called for govt intervention and legislative cure to remedy the situation.
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Portion of parapet of old building in Margao collapses, vehicles damaged
Margao: A portion of a parapet on the upper floor of an old building near Pimpalkatta, along the road leading to Gandhi Market in Margao, gave way on Friday. Several vehicles parked beneath the building were damaged after the debris landed on them. However, there were no casualties. Margao MLA Digambar Kamat, who visited the site along with the chairperson of Margao Municipal Council (MMC), Damodar Shirodkar, said that the structural stability of the building will be assessed, and until then, the building will be evacuated to prevent any untoward incident. A similar collapse occurred in October 2022 when a portion of the first-floor parapet of the same building collapsed, injuring a passerby and damaging a car. The area witnesses heavy traffic and pedestrian movement during rush hours, making such structural failures particularly dangerous. Representatives of a local market association have previously raised concerns about the deteriorating condition of several buildings in the vicinity. The recurring incidents point to a larger problem plaguing Margao and other parts of the state— the presence of several dilapidated buildings that continue to pose safety risks. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 이미지 영어에 대해서 40분만에 알려드립니다 스티븐영어 지금 시작하기 Undo The MMC previously identified 22 unsafe structures, though authorities have struggled to address the threat. However, the building that faced the current collapse of its parapet hasn't yet figured in the list of the unsafe buildings identified by the MMC, said municipality sources. Legal experts attribute the persistence of such unsafe buildings to restrictive provisions in the Goa Buildings (Lease, Rent & Eviction) Control Act, 1968. The archaic rent control legislation makes redevelopment financially unfeasible, as tenants continue paying nominal rents fixed decades ago while maintenance costs have escalated significantly. 'These buildings may have been built 50 or 60 years ago, but tenants continue to pay the same amount of rent that was fixed then, a paltry Rs 20 to Rs 50,' explained legal practitioners familiar with such cases. The situation is further complicated by tenancy rights that persist even if buildings deteriorate, requiring developers to negotiate with tenants before any redevelopment can proceed. This creates a situation where unsafe structures remain occupied despite their hazardous condition, as seen in cases where trade licences continue to be issued for units in buildings declared unsafe by municipal authorities.
Time of India
06-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
MLA: Over 1 crore being spent to prevent flooding in Margao
Margao: The work of improving a few nullahs in the state's commercial capital commenced on Tuesday. Margao MLA Digambar Kamat said that the works, totalling over Rs 1 crore, would help prevent flooding along certain stretches through which the nullahs passed. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now To prevent waste from entering the nullahs, concrete slabs have been installed as covers in residential areas. Chairperson of Margao Municipal Council , Damodar Shirodkar, said that all pre-monsoon works undertaken by the civic body were nearing completion. In the areas where the work was progressing at a slow pace, more workers would be deployed to complete the task in time, he said. MMC's pre-monsoon works include cleaning drains and gutters, desilting nullahs, cutting and trimming tree branches, identifying low-lying areas prone to flooding, clearing illegal hutments, and preparing plans to accommodate people affected by monsoon calamities. Shirodkar said that the water resources department (WRD) would soon take up the task of cleaning the 10-12 nullahs across Margao and Fatorda. Speaking to reporters, Kamat said that the work of laying underground sewerage lines was almost complete and that the work of releasing connections to households was also receiving a good response. The work of replacing an old sewerage line with a new one at Sirvodem would be completed within a few weeks, he said. MMC's pre-monsoon works have always invited criticism from the public for their inefficiency. A few years ago, the Lokayukta questioned MMC over the estimates prepared by it, which had uniform amounts for all the desilting works.
