The shopkeepers claim that this event and Carnival which are scheduled to begin on Saturday affects their age-old businesses as the streets are blocked by the Carnival committee.
Shopkeepers told Herald that the CCP has given permission to block the city roads in violation of the Supreme Court guidelines and they don’t have jurisdiction to issue permissions to block the roads in the city.
Over 20 shopkeepers from the State’s capital had approached the High Court of Bombay at Goa with a petition in November 2015 pleading that no permission be given to the Samba Square.
During the course of the hearing, the petitioners also pleaded that the Carnival procession be shifted away from the capital as it aggravates the traffic congestion and parking problem the city is already facing.
The HC that heard the arguments last week had asked the CCP to file a reply on how they will tackle the issues cited in the petition. CCP, on January 30, 2016, told the court that the carnival event has been taking place in Panjim since the 18th century, a claim that was rubbished by the businessmen.
Shopkeepers, who in their petition had said that business was affected due to such events in the city, requested that they be held outside the city limits.
The petition which was filed in the court will come up for hearing soon. In the meanwhile the Panjim feast has already taken place and Carnival is set to begin. All the roads around the municipal garden had been closed for traffic during the Panjim feast fair in December leading to traffic congestion and accumulation of garbage.
