VASCO: Three key projects from Vasco, the Fish Market complex, the renovation of municipality building and power house in Baina will materialize soon.
“The funds for all the three projects have already been transferred. Now, as soon as the clearances are received and other technicalities are processed, all the three works will start,” says Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida.
Fish market
Speaking about the individual projects, Almeida said, “The Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) has made an application to the High court, seeking an order to allow the Fish vendors to shift on the median, near the existing fish market shed, for the time of one year, until the project is complete.”
The BJP leader also revealed that they are expecting that by this week or by next, the court will come out with the order and that they can then go ahead, following which the project will begin in full swing.
Incidentally, the modern fish market complex has been thrice tendered since 2013 to 2018. When the first tender was floated, it received no response. Back then, the project cost of this fish market was to be Rs 8 crore. Thereafter, it was tendered again but this time, due to the GSR issue, it was kept in abeyance.
Finally, in 2018, the old GSR was kept unchanged and only the GST calculation was added to it. However, after the GST was added, the project cost shot up to Rs 9.5 crore. It is also to be noted that once the fish vendors are shifted to the new market complex, they will be charged Sopo tax by the municipality. Furthermore, this project is in the process of getting its work order issued, after which, the project details will be kept for public display.
Commenting on the status of this project, an official of the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) that is undertaking this project, revealed that the work on the fish market complex work require a time period of 15 months. The official added that the project is likely to be completed by February 2022.
. This new fish market structure will have ground and first floor.
. The market’s basement will have a parking place for its visitors.
. The ground floor is for the fish vendors and there will be a special seating arrangement that will be linked to how the fish will be stored and displayed.
. The first floor will have the dry fish sellers, and if there is additional vacant space, then street food vendors are lilely to be accommodated here
. The complex will also have fish storage facility and other public amenities like drinking water and toilets
Municipality building
Speaking about the MMC Council building work, he explained that during the tenure of the recent council, it was decided that in order to renovate the municipal building, the existing public offices would have to be shifted elsewhere. However, after the council was dissolved, the shifting plan was on hold.
“I will have a meeting with the administrator and Chief Officer of MMC and will take their opinion. The work for this project, has been tendered and most likely by February, the renovation of the municipal building will commence” Almeida added.
The renovation of the Portuguese-era building will be executed by GSUDA.
This project was also tendered twice. The first time was before GST was introduced and the second time, after GST came into force. In the second occasion, the work was awarded to one contractor. When the files of this work went for government approval, it remained there gathering dust for almost a year. After waiting for a year, the contractor resorted to writing a letter to the authority concerned, that he is unable to undertake the work with the old rates and it won’t be feasible for him.
Later on, when GSUDA came in the picture, MMC transferred its funds of Rs 23 crore from the 14th Finance Commission, and requested the government authority concerned, to make the estimates for project again, wherein the new GSR rates of 2019 had to be incorporated. In this regard, while the cost of project as per the earlier tender was Rs 8.5 crore, at present it has gone up to Rs 11.5 crore. This will include the renovation and repair work of the entire municipal building. The work for this project will be tendered within a month’s time Commenting on the status of the project, a GSUDA official revealed that the renovation and repair work of the municipal building will take almost a year; and that by November 2021, the work is likely to be completed.
. The roof will be repaired and renovated.
. The ceiling of the building and the entire building will be plastered internally and externally.
. The tiling and painting work will be done.
. There will be provision of an elevator in this building.
. There will also be a arrangement for a new conference hall
. There will be new doors and windows.
. The original structure won’t be touched or altered considering its heritage significance.
Power House Project
Commenting on the Power House Project in Baina, Almeida stated that it is awaiting conversion, under NRC and naval NOC. “This project also awaits the clearance from the Mormugao Planning Development Authority (MPDA). Once these things are done then, the file will go for administrative approval and technical sanction before being tendered,” he stated.
Government sourced however expressed caution while talking about the status of the project based in Baina, pointing out that the transfer of land and other processes will take some time, almost six months. Considering these delays, they said that they predicted that the power house project will be completed by May 2022.
. The power house consists of a ground plus seven floor building, which will be a commercial complex and the revenue generating project of the MMC.
. The power house project estimate is Rs 15 crore.
. This project’s ground floor will house the kiosks vendors.
. The first floor will have shops and business outlets.
. The second and third floors will have offices.
. The fourth, fifth and sixth floors will have one non-air conditioned, one air conditioned hall and one floor will be for a dining hall.
. The seventh floor will have a restaurant.
