PANJIM, JUNE 16
New market vendors in Panjim are heading for strife with Corporation of the City of Panjim (CCP), as the city fathers have decided to collect the dues, as per the revised rates, from them.
In a notice, dispatched on the new municipal market premises, last week, CCP has given final ultimatum to the market tenants to pay their arrears of Rs 195 per sq metre for their service, by July 15.
“If they don’t go as per our notice then the market will function without electricity, power and other maintenance,” Account and Taxation Officer (ATO) said.
However, the Market Tenants Association has raised strong objection to the same.
“We were not taken into confidence while fixing the rent nor were we informed in advance. This is illegal. We will go as per our old rates,” members of association said.
Whereas, CCP said that tenants were informed about the revised rates well in advance. “When PWD revised rates from Rs 30 to Rs 195 per sq metre, we had immediately called a meeting of the tenants association and the matter was put before them. They, however, objected to the revised rates,” ATO said.
“But as we are losing revenue since quite a long time and the pending electricity bill amounting to Rs 50 lakh and water bill of Rs 15 lakh forced corporation to finally opt for it,” officer added.
In a latter number PWD/WDI/ADM/CE LT/08-09/540 issued on March 17, 2009, the PWD had fixed rates of Rs 195 per sq mts to be imposed on shop owners.
CCP in their special meeting held on February 4, 2010 decided to go as per the revised rates as since 2003, the corporation had failed in collecting the rent from the tenants.
CCP Mayor Carolina Po is confident of signing the agreement of the same with the tenants soon.
Meanwhile, the corporation has also found out that there are many tenants, who have occupied space in the market but their names are not included in the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) list.
Apart from that, the corporation has also passed a resolution, to fine Rs 25,000 per sq mt for each vendor for occupying extra space in the market.
As per the survey almost 295 sq mts of area is been illegally encroached upon by the vendors as against 1275 sq mts area allotted by the GSIDC.
