CCP to put shop sealing drive on hold for 15 days
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, AUG 16
The Corporation of the City of Panjim today decided to put on hold its drive of sealing the shops, which have been closed for years together, for next 15 days.
The special meeting of the CCP, chaired by Mayor Carolina Po to discuss market issues, felt that since some people have started producing the documents they should be given more time.
“The members felt the shopkeepers should be given opportunity to prove their possession since some people have already shown documents and started opening their shops,” CCP Commissioner Elvis Gomes told Herald.
Some of the shops in the new market complex were closed for years together and the CCP had started sealing the shops.
The corporation had asked the owners to prove possession of these shops by presenting related authentic documents including the allotment letter issued by the GSIDC, code number and identity card provided by the CCP.
These lessees were also required to keep their shops open from this month, as per the CCP direction.
The meeting also decided to start collecting the rent from the shopkeepers at the rate of Rs 195 per sq metre from April 2009.
“Some shopkeepers have started paying the rent @ Rs 30 per sq mt. Since we have finalised the rent at Rs 195 per sq mt the members decided to calculate the balance amount and start collecting the rent,” Gomes said.
As per CCP report 458 shops and stalls and 446 vegetable and flower vendors have occupied space in the market. And there are 100-odd shops which are either closed down or are not functioning.
The CCP has not collected the rent for last four to five years and sources informed that the corporation has been paying the electricity and water rent for the new market complex since past 4 to 5 years, and the collective arrears of the shopkeepers and vendors pertaining to their electricity bills have reached a whopping Rs 50 lakh, while the water bill dues stand at Rs 15 lakh.
The CCP also decided to form a committee, which will include opposition corporators to study the issue of transfer of shops in the new market complex.
Gomes said the committee will be headed by the Mayor Carolina Po and comprise ruling corporators Rudresh Chodankar, Bento Loreno, Mangaldas Dessai and opposition corporators Menino da Cruz and Rupesh Halarnkar.
Meanwhile, the opposition corporators have demanded that the nomination of co-opted corporator Daya Karapurkar should be cancelled.
“Karapurkar has been involved in several scams and frauds in the CCP and we have submitted a memorandum to the mayor and commissioner that his nomination be cancelled,” a BJP corporator said.
