A majority of the vendors at the Ponda market have not paid their sopo tax since 2013-14 and have been agitating for the reduction of the tax. There are around 250 vendors in the market who are yet to pay arrears that amount close to Rs 1 crore and are due to the Ponda Municipal Council for the last three years.
Despite the issue being sub judice, PMC, in an attempt to settle the sopo issue formulated a scheme so that the dues could be paid by fixing and lowering the sopo rates for the four years. This would mean a Re 1 hike per year, which for the year 2014-15 would mean Rs 7 per square metre, for year 2015-16 it would be Rs 8 per square metre, and for the year 2016-17 it would be Rs 9 per square metre and for the year 17-18 it would amount to Rs 10 per square metre.
PMC has also sent notices to almost 250 vendors in the market shed to which some have shown readiness to pay the sopo while other have not replied despite the threat of eviction from the market for non-payment.
PMC has been struggling to recover the dues from the vendors. Since 2013-14 the vendors have been agitating against the sopo rate hike by PMC claiming it was exorbitant. The vendors even took the matter of hike in sopo to court which is still sub judice. Since then they have been doing business in the market for the past three years without paying the daily sopo taxes.
In 2013-14 PMC had hiked the sopo tax rates from Rs 5 to Rs 20 and after vendors agitated, then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who is holding the same post now, intervened and the taxes were reduced by PMC from Rs 20 to Rs 12 per square metre in the market shed which was also opposed by vendors who took the matter to the court.
Ponda market shed vendors leader Kishore Mamlekar, along with other vendors, met the Chief Officer and submitted a memorandum alleging that the council was harassing vendors on the pending sopo issue. Notices were served for the recovery of pending sopo despite the matter being sub judice.
Mamlekar said they were ready to settle the issue but since the matter is pending in court, the Chief Officer should settle the matter in consultation with the advocate which was not done.
According to Chairperson Radhika Naik there is no permanent place or reserved place for vendors in the market.
According to Ponda resident Umakant Naik, PMC has given the vendors a good option and they should settle the issue. He said that vendors should not drag the issue and should pay the previous arrears, especially as it is difficult for PMC to manage market without getting any revenue from it.
