PORVORIM: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday informed the House that a new Bill for auditing all old and weak government and private buildings will be introduced in the Assembly session.
Replying to a private member resolution moved by Vasco MLA Krishna Salkar, he said, “Many government buildings are 30 years old and some are even 50 years old. Only an audit will not help . After the audit, a report will be submitted, but that is notenough. Action will have to be taken.”
“It could be either by the Disaster Management Authority or Public Works Department. Any one of the departments will have to move a Bill,” he added.
In his resolution, Krishna Salkar stated that the Public Works Department should carry out a time-bound structural audit of all residential and multiple dwelling buildings that are 30 years and older to ensure the safety of residents.
Margao MLA Digambar Kamat suggested that an authority be created to address the issue, as there are many buildings under litigation. However, Aldona MLA Carlos Ferreira opposed the resolution,
arguing against auditing private buildings since some tenants pay as low as Rs 25 or Rs 50. He questioned who would cover the audit costs.
Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas advocated for auditing comunidade and government buildings first.
Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao also stated that the government should not audit private buildings but should first ensure the structural stability of government buildings.