PWD, MC to prepare report on unsafe buildings in Patiala city

Ravneet Singh

Tribune News Service

Patiala, July 15

The Public Works Department (PWD) and the Municipal Corporation (MC) will now prepare a report on condition and present status of various public and private buildings, which are unsafe or in dilapidated condition in the city in order to initiate action against such structures.

A committee comprising officials of the PWD and the civic body will be formed for the purpose. The MC had sent a list of such buildings in the city to the PWD recently.

Officials in the PWD said, “A report will be prepared regarding all dilapidated private and government buildings, their present condition, whether they can be renovated and used or razed and other related action.”

Such buildings, include the Government Press on the Sirhind road, a wall of the CIA staff at Maiji di Saran, Municipal Library at Khaddar Bhandar, hostel building of the Government Bikram College of Commerce, Top Khana Gate, backside wall of Qila Mubarak, overhead water tank at Jodian Bhatiyan, Home Guard office near Dhobi Ghat, a Government Primary School, near Government Physical College, Lehal, along with other private buildings in the city.

The PWD XEN, Sohan Lal Garg, said, “The office has started the process of preparing a team. We have received a letter from the Corporation in this regard. We do not know the current status of buildings. Therefore, physical inspection of buildings will be carried out after which a report will be prepared in the regard. Necessary action will be initiated against all buildings on the basis of the report.”

Meanwhile, the PWD has also suggested that the building of 150-year- old Government Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya in the city, which was unsafe and in dilapidated condition, should be handed over to the Archaeology Department for its renovation and use. In a letter to the department officials had stated that the building, which earlier housed a ‘mahavidyalya’ had been lying defunct for years’ altogether and was ‘ancient’.

Cause for concern

Dilapidated and unsafe buildings are a cause for concern when it comes to public safety. Recently, an illegal under-construction building near New Sabzi Mandi had collapsed. At least 12 workers, who got buried in the collapsed structure, had a miraculous escape.