Kamal Ghorui
Margao: Even as a new signboard has been installed at Quepem’s taluka revenue office — replacing the reference to South Goa district with Kushavati district for the office of the mamlatdar and head of the taluka revenue office — administrative officials maintained that the search for a permanent location to house the new district headquarters remains very much in progress.“The location for the new building has not been finalised yet,” a senior administrative official told TOI. Officials said the installation of the signboard is an interim administrative measure.However, sources within the administration revealed that while several locations have been identified for consideration as the permanent district headquarters, none is shortlisted yet. The list of potential sites include premises in both Quepem and Curchorem, the two towns that are engaged in a spirited contest over which should serve as the administrative hub of the new district. Some of these identified locations could be put to use as district headquarters at relatively short notice if needed.“However, we are looking for a location which would fulfill some basic criteria — like convenience of access for people from across the district, ample parking space, sufficient land to house all subordinate offices, etc,” a senior official explained.The official said govt was taking a long-term view in selecting the headquarters location. “An ideal location would be that which would serve as a landmark location for the next 50-60 years, where all necessary offices and facilities would be easy to access, and accommodate future administrative growth,” the official said.
