Goemkarponn desk
PONDA: In a shocking incident, the roof of the Ponda Zonal Agriculture Office ( ZAO) collapsed last night.
Thankfully, the incident happened at night and not during the day when several staffers work and hundreds of farmers visit daily.
The farmers have blamed the government for neglecting the repairs of the buildings.
Farmers who saw the collapsed roof and dilapidated building were furious to see the plight.
They said the government have money for organising events and “wast
eful” Krishi Melavas but no money and time for attending to repairs.
The agriculture department provides services to the citizens of 19 panchayats of Ponda Taluka.
Several employees and officers work in this office. The employees were shocked to see the collapsed building when they arrived at the office after the incident.
Following this incident, the office was shifted to Market Yard Ponda; however, as farmers were not informed about the incident publicly, they were furious to visit the office and watch collapsed office and then visit Market Yard Ponda where the office is shifted.
The Board is displayed at the office door and in small letters in English, making it difficult to read.
The Farmers who had arrived today at ZAO for the officials and agricultural-related works fumed seeing the office collapse.
They blamed officials and the government for neglecting to dilapidated building and waiting till its collapse.
The Farmers from Priol said Ponda has four ministers but needs to solve public issues.
The locals said the KTC Bus Stand repair took almost one year, and the government is working at a snail’s pace on buildings that the public frequents.
According to the information received, it is estimated that the Agriculture Department’s roof collapse may have occurred between the night of Friday and Saturday midnight.
It has been reported that half of the area has been repaired earlier. The department was functioning in seven rooms in the tile and wooden roofed office.
In such a situation, the lives of farmers and citizens who came to work and the officers in charge were in danger.
After the roof’s collapse, all the essential documents and files were moved to a safe place.
The Agriculture Department has made a temporary alternative arrangement of taking on lease the first floor of the Agricultural Market Center at Curti Ponda of the New Divisional Agriculture Office.
