TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The shops in the city municipal market complex are being used since 2003 without payment of any rent to the CCP even as the corporation struggles to pay salaries. The lessees have to pay Rs 12 crore to the corporation and though the CCP has already passed a resolution to recover the amount, till date no action has been taken against them.
Two resolutions were passed during the tenure of the former Mayors, Vaidehi Naik and Yatin Parekh, however, no action was taken on these resolutions by the previous BJP-led council. Two reports on the irregularities, illegalities in the shops have already been submitted to the corporation. However, till date no action has been taken on these reports either.
As on date, the lessees are supposed to sign the lease agreements by October 30. However, there have been no efforts by the CCP to settle the pending issues like subletting of the shops. Nobody has come forward to sign the leases and instead shopkeepers have sent a DD towards the rent of the shops to the CCP through registered AD, with rent at the rate of Rs 30 per sq mt was sent by the Panjim Municipal Market Tenants’ Association, towards the rent of the shops in the market, for a period of past 10 years even though the rent that has been fixed by the PWD is Rs 256 per sq mts. The largest shop in the market is 35 sqm. The Mayor, Surendra Furtado refused to accept the cheques.
The CCP for the past 10 years has not received any rent. The first phase of the Panjim market complex was completed in August 2003. In 2007, the second phase of the city market complex was completed. The shops were allotted in September 2007.
