PANJIM: There appears to be no amicable solution to the controversy of rent rates of Panjim Municipal Market as the core of the debate – the new agreement of 2014 – is yet to be accepted by the shop owners/tenants.
It has been a couple of months now that the Commissioner of Corporation of City of Panaji (CCP) has been trying to convince the owners/tenants to sign the agreement, however, they remained firm on their decision.
The meeting which expected to close the issue ended inconclusively. CCP Commissioner Sanjit Rodrigues and representatives of Panaji Municipal Market Tenants Association met on Tuesday and the market representatives submitted a proposal to the Commissioner as a final hope to negotiate with their demands.
As per the new agreement, the rent rate for each shop is Rs 256 per sq mtr on all the floors of the new market. The association has suggested different rates for different floors. On the ground floor they have suggested that the rate be Rs 150 per sq mtr, on the first floor Rs 75 per sq mtr and on the second floor Rs 50 per sq mtr.
“Business on each floor is completely different. Shops on the ground floor have better earning prospects as compared to those on the first and second floors. Hardly 30% shops are doing well, the remaining are in a crisis,” association secretary Dharmendra Bhagat said.
Bhagat added, “When we were in the old building we were assured as per the agreement to pay Rs 30 per sq mtr on the ground floor, Rs 15 per sq mtr on the first floor and 10% increase in rent every three years. However, now they are directly asking for Rs 256 per sq mtr which is unfair.”
The association claims that CCP has not considered the cost of construction in deciding upon the rent rates. “The cost of construction on the ground floor is Rs 10,000 per sq mtr and Rs 7,000 per sq mtr on the first floor, which is high. Looking at the current condition of the market, we cannot afford to pay cost of construction in lakhs and then again pay the rents every month.”
Speaking to Herald Rodrigues said, “The association is not ready to accept the agreement. So therefore the eviction proceedings are going on, and we have to dispose of the matter on eviction as per the court’s direction. Under Public Premises Act, we have served them eviction notices and the process is on.”
Asked who had finalised the rent rates, he said, “It is the council of the corporation who decide upon the rent rates. It was the decision of the elected council of CCP.”
Meanwhile, the new market agreement which was drafted in 2014, states that tenants from the old municipal market who were rehabilitated to the new one will be given shops on leave and licence for the period of three years. However, the association demands that tenants be regularised and the matter settled, fearing their shop will not be secure.
