Team Herald
CURCHOREM: Curchorem-Cacora Municipal Council (CCMC) has directed the occupants of its old market building near the Curchorem railway station on survey number 90/10 to vacate it within seven days to initiate demolition work.
It may be recalled that CCMC had asked the Sub-Division II of PWD, Quepem to inspect the structure of old municipal building, which is in a dilapidated condition and later the PWD in their structural stability report stated that various RCC columns, beams and slab were distressed with the concrete deteriorating and reinforcement were being exposed with 100 per cent corrosion of the steel bars at many places.
In 2013, CCMC had called for a meeting with all the stakeholders from the municipal building, along with the Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral and decided to construct a new building, after demolishing the old one and accommodate all the lessees there.
Earlier, in January 2014, the then CCMC Chief Officer Agnelo Fernandes served a notice to the occupants and directed them to vacate their shops from the dilapidated single-storey building.
According to Chairperson Felix Fernandes, three months ago, the council issued a notice again, to vacate the shops within eight days failing which council may act to vacate the shops/godawns and initiate action as per rule in force.
“Following to the notice occupants approached the High Court for relief but the court directed them to vacate it. After the court order the council has asked them to vacate the premises within seven days,” Fernandes said and informed that temporary arrangement has been made to house the 42 lessees at GSUDA market, as it will take at least one-and-a-half year to complete the project of new building.
Expressing their displeasure over the development some shop owners informed that council has given them a space of only 6 square meters when their existing area of the shop was 15 to 20 square meters.
“We have requested the council to set up a temporary shed to accommodate us with at least 15 square meters space, so that we can lay our goods properly. We will meet the chief officer again to request him to construct a temporary shed before monsoon,” said one of the lessees.
