Team Herald

PONDA: The Ponda Municipal Council (PMC) has decided to recover around Rs 60 lakh of rent arrears from the shopkeepers from Indira Market located at Ponda bus stand which they had not paid for the past twelve years.

The decision was taken at the council meeting held on Wednesday.

Addressing the media after meeting, Chairperson Radhika Naik said, “In 2004, then Administrator of PMC Patidar had discontinued the rent from 28 shopkeepers because PMC had planned to construct market for women in place of Indira Market.”

But, Naik said, the market plan did not go ahead, however, the 28 shopkeepers continued to remain exempted from paying rent, which now accumulated to almost around Rs 60 lakhs. “The council has resolved today to recover the rent arrears from them,” Naik said.

She informed that the council had discussed the issue with the shopkeepers and they had agreed to pay the same in instalments within one year after approval of DMA. 

Naik further said that as per agreement there would be hike in rent every three years by 10 percent for the period 2004-2014, while from 2014 there would be hike of 5 percent in rent per year. 

She informed that PMC has also received Rs 46 lakh from government for additional development work. 

Despite code of conduct in force for the assembly by-election, she said, the PMC has decided to install LED lights in the city area to provide proper lighting and to illuminate the city for the forthcoming Ganesh festival. “The Election Commission approved for purchase of required LED lights,” she informed.