Team Herald
PANJIM: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has directed Power Minister Nilesh Cabral to restore power supply at the earliest to Panjim Municipal Market, which was disconnected on Tuesday.
Directions have also been issued to the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) to pay the dues of Rs five crore, pending since 2003.
The Corporation is eyeing at recovery from the shopkeepers and vendors, who have occupied the market premises but have not paid a single rupee, to tie up with the situation.
It may be recalled that the Electricity Department on Tuesday disconnected power supply to the market over non-payment of dues by the CCP. The entire market continued to remain in darkness for the second day, despite the Corporation making arrangements through generators.
Speaking to media persons, Sawant said he has spoken to Power Minister to restore the electricity supply at the earliest. “I have also asked CCP to make the necessary payments,” he said.
The Panjim market was constructed by the State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) in two different phases in 2003 and 2007, and was handed over to CCP only thereafter.
When asked, Panjim MLA Atanasio Monserrate said that Corporation will request the government to waive off the interest, which is Rs 2.5 crore. “We have asked Power Minister to give us some time to make the payment. CCP will approach government for interest wavier,” he said.
The MLA lamented that the Corporation has failed to generate any revenue from market, every since it was handed over to them, in absence of legal agreements with the vendors and shopkeepers.
Monserrate said that signing of lease agreement will help corporation to get at least Rs six to seven crore. “But that has not happened so far,” he said.
“Now the recovery from the shopkeepers is must to tie up with the situation. I will discuss with the Corporation and take a call,” the MLA said.
The CCP Treasury is running without any rent from the tenants since the inception of market complex in 2002.
After it was exposed that almost 95 percent of shopkeepers are illegal occupants, CCP, in 2014, initiated process to sign lease agreement with the legal occupants. However, it never happened as shopkeepers were reluctant and had their own demands.
