Team Herald
PONDA: The Ponda Municipal Council’s (PMC) decision to seal shops defaulting on rent arrears for years, has paid off as the municipality managed to recover Rs 41 lakhs within two days.
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The PMC sealed 24 shops on Monday for non-payment of rent arrears that have accumulated to over Rs 2 crore since 2016. The sealed shops, along with their goods and materials, were forced to cease operations.
“Following the sealing of the shops, the situation has started to yield positive results,” said Chairperson Anand Naik in a media briefing. “In just two days, we have managed to recover Rs 41 lakhs in rent arrears, and we expect more payments in the coming days. This action is a step towards putting an end to the chronic non-payment issue,” he added.
The PMC’s decision to seal the shops has had a dramatic impact. Many of the defaulting shop owners, who had been ignoring PMC notices for years, rushed to the council seeking leniency. Some of them pleaded for more time to clear their dues. “The situation was critical, and our action has had the desired effect,” said Naik, adding that two shop owners had already paid a total of Rs 16 lakhs.
PMC convened a special meeting on Wednesday to discuss a memorandum submitted by 16 shop owners. They had requested the municipality to review its decision, remove the seals and allow more time for payment. After deliberations, the PMC stood firm in its decision. The council agreed to recover the full arrears from the 10 shops that had been sublet, while offering a six-month period for the four independent shop owners to clear their dues.
The market complex, which has long been referred to as a ‘white elephant’ due to its failure to generate significant revenue, has seen local residents express their support for PMC’s decision. “This action is long overdue,” said one local resident adding, “The Market Complex has been a drain on resources, and it’s time for shop owners to pay their dues.”
