PANJIM: Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) Mayor, Rohit Monserrate on Tuesday said that the Corporation will propose to have entertainment and food zones in the city.
Speaking to reporters, he said, “We want to set up entertainment and food zones in the city. Nothing happens in Panjim in the night. Everyone has to go outside for any sort of entertainment. We are hoping to get a zone in Patto where we will have vendors and entertainment and people of the city will benefit from it. The area can cater to a lot of people from the city.”
He said the CCP has discussed some of the areas and places like the National Theatre and Joggers Park which can be notified as a zone.
“Names of different areas have been suggested. These names will be sent to the District Collector for notifying them. Even if we notify the area we will have to see how many of them can be accommodated. Efforts will be made to spread them out evenly so that there is no traffic jam in the city,” Monserrate said.
He said the number of zones will depend on the number of people who are to be accommodated.
“Depending on the people we have, we will try and accommodate them,” he said.
He said there are 92 vendors who are on the priority list who need to be accommodated. However, he suggested that the number may increase.
“We want to bring them under a standard set of rules so that safety and cleanliness are not an issue. It should not cause any chaos in the area,” he said.
He said the carts to be put in the zone will be redesigned as they are very old.
Speaking about the entertainment zone, the Mayor said, “It will provide the city dwellers to spend some time together. If it comes up in Patto then it will be easier to maintain it. Advantage in Patto is that there are no residential complexes there. Right now we have to notify the area. It can be from Sesa Goa to the Spaces building.”
Panjim residents want CCP to fix the city first
PANJIM: Reacting strongly to CCP’s plans to have entertainment and food zones in Panjim, residents of the capital city said that priority of the corporation should be completion of the Smart City works, which have been undertaken across the city and made people’s lives miserable.
Advocate Rui Ferreira said, “They are acting as agents of some entertainment companies. While you are creating pay parking scheme saying parking is a problem, at the same time you are burdening the city with these type of things. What is the purpose? You are burdening the existing infrastructure in the city.”
“It is not the business of the CCP to have an entertainment zone in the city. Everything is being shifted from Panjim. Most of the government departments have been shifted from Panjim to Porvorim. CCP’s role is to collect revenue from the market which it is not doing. Already there is no space in Patto,” Adv Ferreira said.
“The priority of the CCP should be to complete the ongoing Smart City works. They are just trying to promote the business interests of some other people. It is not in the interest of the people. They should concentrate on the welfare of the people,” he said.
Former councillor Menino Da Cruz said, “The most important thing is that whatever work they have taken up, has only disrupted lives as they are not coming to a logical end. Now for what purpose they are proposing to have these zones? For whom? Is it a new scam?”
“The government announced that all Smart City works would be completed by May 31. Has it been finished? No. They may start it, but it is not going to see a logical end. Now again for this purpose a consultant will be appointed and a huge amount of money will be paid. We should give us the necessary amenities like good roads, electricity, water, sewerage amongst others.”
