Furtado rants over sub-leased CCP properties
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, NOV 21
Corporation of the City of Panjim councillor from ward No 10 Surendra Furtado has questioned why corporation officials were dragging feet over initiating legal proceedings against sub-leased properties thus depriving its cash-strapped coffers of income that could bring it out of the red.
Furtado claimed for the last five years he has been spearheading a campaign to revert back all the shops in the ‘Praca do Comercio’ which have been illegally sub-let by the original tenants of the CCP as the rent being paid by them was not more than Rs 200 to Rs 300.
He charged that the original tenants have flouted the law and sub-let the originally leased establishments by accepting lakhs of rupees and were now receiving hefty rents.
At the centre of Furtado’s argument is a sub-leased shop (No 4/4) that was sealed by the corporation’s technical department a week back on directions from the Commissioner Elvis Gomes. The shop, which was carrying out renovations, was originally leased out to M/s Vernekar Diesels.
Sources in the CCP said as far as the sub-leasing of the shop (now a readymade garments showroom run by Arrows for the last five years) was concerned legal proceedings were on. There are many such properties in the city, they stated.
Furtado argues, “If legal proceedings were on then how was the shop allowed to carry on the renovations.” He has demanded with the Mayor and the Commissioner to explain why they haven’t acted seriously in the matter.
The councilor has made a serious charge asserting money in lakhs has changed hands to give a nod to the showroom owner to renovate, but failed to spell out the names of the recipients of the amount.
