Team herald
PONDA: Stating that PMC was planning to rehabilitate the market vendors with shops in the new market complex, Ponda Market Committee President and Councillor Venkatesh Naik said the agitation was politicized by vested interests.
“Earlier, they were agitating against the sopo tax issue and now they are raising the footpath issue.
As per Supreme Court guideline, we cannot evict them without rehabilitation,” said Naik.
“As soon as some vendors from the market shed are rehabilitated in the new market complex, which is still incomplete, we will bring the footpath vendors into the market shed,” added Naik.
Speaking on the sopo tax issue, Naik said the chief officer had sent a letter to the sopo contractor to deposit sopo instalment of about Rs 22 lakh. He said however that the agitating vendors have not paid the sopo tax for many months now since the agitation.
“Despite their agitation, the vendors can’t avoid sopo tax arrears and they will have to pay. We have the list of all the vendors doing business in the market shed. We will give them an opportunity to pay the arrears in instalments,” said Naik.
