Team Herald
PANJIM: The Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Council plans to make the Cafe Bhonsle Square a pedestrian zone and the stakeholders, especially the commercial establishments, aren’t too happy about it.
The stakeholders feel that making the area a pedestrian zone will affect their businesses adversely and as such they feel it isn’t a good idea.
“We were there for the discussions with the IPSCDL and gave our suggestions. It is a bad move which will kill the business,” said stakeholders.
They questioned what alternate arrangements the government has for parking if the Cafe Bhonsle square is made no parking.
“As it is city has ample problem of parking and taking away this space will create a mess,” they said. The stakeholders say they have met the IPSCDL director Siddharth Kuncaliencar and he has assured to look into it. “If our views are not considered we have no option but to move court,” they said. IPSCDL Managing Director Swayandipta Pal Choudhary however has some other ideas. “There is no issue at all. We had a presentation and discussion with all stakeholders and it was received very well. They have given some suggestions which we are taking into consideration,” Chaudhary told Herald. About parking, he said, that is being dealt separately by the IPSCDL through comprehensive parking management plan.
“Let us go ahead with this, we need to encourage not to use vehicles otherwise the city will be choked with vehicles,” he said.
About losses to the businesses, he replied, in fact this would give them more footfalls than before.
Siddharth Kunkaliencar, meanwhile, has promised to look into the grievances of the shopkeepers.
“I don’t know what exactly are their issues and request but we will surely take them into consideration,” he said.
