The work of the Ponda market complex started in 2009 and was completed in December 2011. However, since its inauguration in that same month, the ambitious market project has remained largely unused, and the government does not seem to have any plans to turn the situation around.
This huge market complex consists of hundreds of shops and parking spaces, but except for a few shops on the ground floor, no shops are occupied, and thus, no revenue is being generated.
The vendors, who were shifted to a temporary shed a short distance away after the demolition of the old market to make way for this new project, are still operating at the shed as the Ponda Municipal Council (PMC) failed to rehabilitate the vendors and put the market project to use.
A reason for this is that the vendors are not ready to shift to the new complex out of fear that they will get no business due to the building’s faulty design. Another reason given by the PMC is that some part of the project is incomplete and it had not been handed over to the municipality by the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC).
Even the parking lot at the basement of the project has remained unused, despite the fact that there is heavy traffic congestion in the market area and lack of space for parking.
During rush hours and weekly market days, Pondaitees face a lot of hardship to find parking space. This being a market for four constituencies, people from across the taluka have demanded the utilization of market project for the benefit of the vendors and Pondaitees.
Despite being in a prime location – beside the main road – the market has work a deserted look for the last four-and-a-half years.
It is also observed that there is a lack of space for traditional vendors from rural villages, who used to do their business on the weekly market days. Due to space constraints, the vendors sell their goods near the market shed as they are banned from operating on the footpaths.
In recent times, people have witnessed fights between the market vendors and footpath vendors. The market shed vendors, who are opposed to footpath vending, have claimed that the footpath vendors are eating into their business.
Additionally, Pondaitees often avoid visiting the Ponda market shed due to the vendors doing business in congested quarters.
In 2009, as the old market was insufficient for the vendors, and people were inconvenienced, the government demolished and built the new market complex in 2009.
Even though 95 percent of the project was inaugurated in 2011, Pondaitees are facing the same problems that they had been facing before the construction of this project; lack of parking spots, traffic congestion, and space constraints still prevails in the market.
According to former Chief Minister Ravi Naik, who was instrumental in laying the foundation stone for the project, stated, “The project was constructed in place of the old market, taking into consideration the severe hardships the vendors were facing in the old market, which was too small for the increasing population of Ponda. In the old market, only few sheds existed. The people and vendors had to face the monsoons, the sun’s heat, the stench emanating due to lack of proper sanitation, and sewage was flowing in the open.”
He continued, “Taking note of the demands of Pondaitees, I took the initiative to build a proper market complex for Ponda. Before constructing the new market a few years ago, the vegetable and fruit vendors were relocated to a temporary shed specially constructed for them just behind this project. It is the PMC’s responsibility to relocate the vendors to the new market to make it operational and earn revenue. The BJP government should use this project and also fix sopo or yearly fees so that there will be no further dispute over the sopo matter. The people coming to the market will benefit.”
Meanwhile, Ponda marker vendors’ leader Kishore Mamlekar stated, “The PMC is not using the project, claiming that it is not complete. However, few shop owners are allowed to do business on the ground floor. Many market shed vendors are willing and ready to shift to the new complex if the PMC takes the lead.”
He further said, “Four years ago, we had shifted from the old market to a temporary shed while the project was being constructed. But we have not been relocated to the new complex, which has remained unused after its inauguration. The PMC had assured that around 95 vendors who were shifted from the old market would be relocated, but we are still waiting for relocation. We recently decided that if we are not shifted and shops are not allotted in this market project as promised to us, we will not pay sopo to the PMC.”
He added that the market vendors did not get customers in the shed, and therefore, they must be shifted to the new complex.
