Illegal transferring of shops located in municipal areas under the scanner

PORVORIM: The State government will consider amending the Goa Municipality Act to make provisions for transferring shops located in municipal areas and revising the rent of these premises. This was conveyed by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant in connection to the issue, which was raised earlier by the legislators. They explained that in the absence of any such provision to make the transfer, there have been cases of illegal subletting of shops, which leads to the municipalities losing out on huge revenue. 

Sawant said the government will consider amending the Act in order to bring transparency in the transfer process and also to ensure that municipalities earn revenue. 

Urban Development Minister Milind Naik said, "It is a fact that over half of the shops in almost all the municipal areas have been sublet. Under the existing municipal law, the civic body can give their shops on lease or rent only for a certain number of years and they are to be renewed periodically. Also, these shops can be transferred only to a blood relation and not to an outsider".  

Naik said that currently the shops are leased out, sublet or transferred to another person and the civic body is not even informed it.  

"The original owner earns lakhs of rupees in rent fees for the transfer but the municipality gets nothing," he admitted. 

Considering the need to amend the Municipality Act, Naik said all the MLAs from the municipal areas will be taken into confidence before making the necessary amendments. 

Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat and BJP MLA Carlos Almeida highlighted how shops in the municipal areas have been illegally sublet and how the municipality or the government hasn’t done anything about the illegalities. 

"The transfers or subletting that takes place is illegal and without any legal documentation. The existing law does not allow transfer of shops other than to the blood relation. It is high time the government amends the Act and brings in transparency," Kamat stated. 

Tourism dept instructed to crackdown on hotels charging exorbitant rates

PORVORIM: In a major move, the Goa Government is all set to launch a crackdown on hotel operators, who are charging exorbitantly from tourists visiting the coastal State. 

“After listening to the grievances of the taxi operators, we have come across the fact that several hotels are involved in over charging their customers,” said Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. 

"During our discussion with taxi owners, we came to know that hotels offer packages to the visitors that include taxi fares. Taxi operators said that the rates charged for taxi fare by the hotels are very high, while they don't even get half of that charges," added the CM. 

He stated that directions will be issued to the tourism department to crackdown on such hotels. "We cannot just blame the taxi operators. Every stakeholder is responsible to ensure we provide quality and happy service to our visitors," he said. 

Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho said that Goa is losing its image as a prime tourism destination due to the tourists and hotels overcharging tourists. "We have solved the taxi issue and now the Chief Minister will have to look into the hotel operators who are charging exorbitantly," he said. 

Comparing how the government has managed to bring in transparency in the taxi service, Godinho said the government will now have to ensure that people visiting Goa get an affordable and quality stay. 

Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao, also pointed out that the hotel room charges in Goa are much higher compared to States like Maharashtra, Kerala, etc. "To stay in Goa's three star, four star, five star resorts as well as small hotels is very expensive," he said. 

“But the salaries paid by these hotels to their staffers are comparatively very low,” he added. 

Five former (late) CMs to be honoured  

PORVORIM: The State government announced that it will put up portraits of five former Chief Ministers, who are no more, either in the State Secretariat or Ministerial block. 

CM Pramod Sawant said the portraits of Goa’s first CM  Dayanand Bandodkar and others like  Shashikala Kakodkar, Luis Proto Barbosa, Dr Wilfred D'Souza and Manohar Parrikar, will be put up in the State complex. 

Sawant also said that once the new State Museum is constructed, it will have a special gallery on Goa’s freedom fighters, Opinion poll and all the Chief Ministers, including the living. 

Former CM and senior Congress MLA Pratapsingh Rane had moved the private member resolution, recommending that the government puts up large size portraits of CMs, who are no more, and have contributed towards the welfare and development of the State. 

Sawant requested Speaker Rajesh Patnekar to organise a felicitation programme for Rane, who will be completing 50 years as MLA in 2021-22.