The Corporation of the City of Panjim (CCP) should celebrate the 10th anniversary of ‘its talk about constructing the third phase’ of its Panjim market. The state government had in July 2013 notified land acquisition proceedings for the third phase. It was expected to accommodate fish and meat vendors. The chalta numbers were identified. The government had authorised the then North Goa collector, the CCP commissioner and the director of settlement and land records to do the acquisitions and the market was to be constructed by the GSIDC. Ten years later, again in April 2023, there is talk of construction of the third phase of the CCP market and in July 2023 there was talk of upgradation of the existing two phases of the municipal market.
The CCP market with Mario Miranda’s murals was built at lightening speed in view of the 2004 International Film Festival of India which was to be hosted in Goa. Once the hype died down, the motivation and will to complete the Rs 12 crore project died down. The first phase was completed in 2003. The second phase was completed in 2007. Spread over 13,778 square metres, housing 85 shops and 95 stalls, after spending Rs 12 crore the CCP does not get a rupee by way of revenue, due to the long running dispute between the CCP and the shop lease holders.
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Despite Goa boasting as the No. 1 tourist destination and good performance on many parameters including health and literacy, the CCP’s Panjim market is one of the dirtiest. Every morning, the rich and famous of the city visit this filthy market to shop for their daily quota of vegetables, fruits and other groceries. The suited and booted and the common man also visit the filthy fish market, which has actually been built on a road. It is a ‘state shame’ that Goa does not have a decent fish market, whose filth and dirt churns the entrails with gut wrenching smell. Forget about the alleged fish mafia and the quality of fish and its non-inspection by CCP market inspectors or the Health Department or the FDA.
Does the filthy state of the CCP’s general and the fish and meat markets speak about us Goans or Panjimites, our sense of hygiene, and our sensitivities? Does the fact that this issue is not discussed and executed by the CCP for 10 years speak something about the poor quality of governance, lack of urgency from the CCP? Ironically, all this despite Goa winning many awards at the national level.
Even the shoes, umbrella and hosiery market is built on the road. Come to think of it, the old Portuguese market was surrounded by roads on all sides. Slowly, the road in front of T-Centre was closed with the shoes, umbrella and hosiery market; the road behind Dempo House was blocked by putting up the fish market, because fish vendors refused to sit in the poorly constructed fish market, which is now sought to be demolished; and the third road which was passing between the old market and the then GMC wall has been blocked by erecting the basement car parking of the new market.
The CCP market is sitting on a ‘fire time bomb’, with the tons of combustible material sold in the market and with all these roads surrounding the market closed and no access to the fire brigade. The third phase of the market should be built on a war footing and the surrounding roads should be cleared on priority for vital safety reasons.
The wheels of bureaucracy move slowly. The CCP has recently appointed State Officers for hearings and signing the market lease agreements for Phases I and II with the shopkeepers. It’s only thereafter that the demolition of the old fish and meat market will begin to start work on the third phase. To avoid any further delay, the Panjim MLA and the Chief Minister should step in and hasten the process on a war footing in the interest of the hygiene, safety and security of Panjimites and shoppers.
Meanwhile, it is hoped that the recent proposal invited from architects for ‘Comprehensive design, repair and upgradation work of phase – I & II of Panjim municipal market – design, civil, plumbing, electrical, re-roofing and fire fighting works for Corporation of the City of Panaji’ will see the light of day and is executed on priority basis.
