Team Herald
MARGAO: A dispute has risen between Margao Municipal Council (MMC) and South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA); over the allotment of stalls for Holy Spirit Feast Fair. Some stall owners who have been allotted stalls at the MMC land opposite the SGPDA ground complained that SGPDA has allotted stalls on their ground which is meant solely for furniture.
The stall owners have complained that SGPDA has allotted 40 stalls without MMC’s knowledge and at cheaper rates even though stalls had been demarcated on MMC land.
The stall owners who have set up on MMC land, met MMC Chairperson (CP) and Chief Officer (CO) and demanded a solution. They warned that they won’t pay a single rupee to MMC as stall fees, if the allotment of stalls at SGPDA ground is not stopped. It may be recalled that MMC had taken the feast fair to MMC land opposite SGPDA in a bid to get income for MMC.
“MMC marked the stalls. We are going to pay Rs 7,400 for the stall on MMC land, while SGPDA is giving a stall at Rs. 5000, which is bigger than the land allotted to us. Who is going to come to the MMC land side of the fair, if there are stalls at the SGPDA land?” asked one of the stall allottees Baba Shaikh.
“There are 4 grounds of SGPDA. Are they going to have stalls all over these places and bypass the actual MMC allotted fair?” he asked.
MMC CO Ajit Panchwadkar and CP Pooja Naik assured to look into the issue.
