PANJIM: Stating that they are yet to receive eviction notices issued by the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP), the Panjim Municipal Market Tenants Association (PMMTA) has termed the Corporation’s move as “illegal”, considering that the tenants have paid over Rs 3.65 crore to the civic body in the form of various taxes and costs since 2003.
CCP on Tuesday served eviction orders to 132 vendors and show cause notice to 152 vendors, asking why action should not be taken against them for operating illegally, following a High Court order.
Speaking to Herald, PMMTA President Rajendra Dhamaskar said, “We will reply to CCP in a legal manner. If they call us illegal, we are going to prove how their action to issue the notice is illegal. We have all documents to prove it.”
Claiming that they had conveyed to CCP their willingness to sign an agreement at the proposed rent of Rs 256 per sq mtr, Dhamaskar said that since 2003, when the new market complex was constructed till 2014, the tenants have paid over Rs 3.65 crore to CCP in the form of sopo, rent, construction and maintenance cost, sinking fund, transfer fees, etc.
“The payment of rent was stopped in 2014, after CCP refused to accept it in the absence of a proper lease agreement with the tenants,” he said.
The association has around 800 members of which half paid rents (with few having signed the lease agreement in 2003) and balance paying sopo, which is Rs 40 lakh annually (tender).
