Team Herald
PANJIM: The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) has directed occupants of 13 shops in Panjim fish market building to vacate the premises within 24 hours as it has decided to demolish it.
The building was declared unsafe last year and notices were served to the 13 shop owners mostly selling meat.
Speaking to O Heraldo, CCP councillor and market committee chairman Bento Lorena said that the 13 shop owners will be provided alternate space to run their businesses.
“They want an alternative place. We will provide them. We have just issued them the notices and told them to give us a couple of days. We would not disturb them for a couple of days. We will try to relocate them next week to nearby areas,” he said.
However, Panjim Market Tenants Association president Rajendra Dhamaskar said that this is the second notice served to the tenants.
He said the shop owners demand that they should be provided an alternate space where they can run their business.
“Earlier also they were issued notices when they (CCP) had asked them to vacate the premises within 15 days. Now they asked the shop owners to vacate the premises within 24 hours. But they have been running the business for so many years. Where will they go now in such a short period of time. That is why they want an alternative arrangement so that they can continue their business while the construction work goes on,” he said.
In January this year, the CCP had approved the demolition of Panjim Fish Market building and the construction of temporary fish stalls.
The Corporation has obtained structural stability report from the Government Polytechnic, Panjim, according to which the building has outlived its economic life and is in distressed condition and presently the building is unsafe for human occupation.
