Team Herald
PONDA: Sending a message loud and clear to defaulters, the Ponda Municipal Council (PMC) on Monday sealed 24 shops for failing to clear rent arrears amounting to over Rs 2 crore.
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The shop owners, who had been defaulting on rent payments for over a decade, had accumulated arrears ranging from Rs 9 lakh to Rs 12 lakh per shop.
Despite repeated notices, the defaulters had been reluctant to pay, citing various excuses. The accumulated interest on the arrears ranged from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh for some defaulters. Following the sealing action, shop owners, who had previously dismissed PMC’s warnings, expressed shock and began rushing to clear their dues.
The sealed shops, located on the mezzanine floor of a busy market complex in Upper Bazaar, Ponda, include two hair salons, two bars, electrical shops, general stores, mobile shops, and hardware shops. The market complex, inaugurated in 2011, had 26 shops, of which 24 had defaulted on their monthly rent payments since the complex’s inception.
PMC Chief Officer Yogiraj Gosavi issued warrants against the defaulters, leading to the sealing operation conducted by Municipal Engineer Vishant Naik, Inspector Krishna Naik, Avinash Naik, and other municipal staff. Inspector Krishna Naik stated, “The PMC had repeatedly warned the shop owners to clear their dues, but they continued to give excuses. Today’s action was necessary as they turned defaulters.”
Some shop owners attempted to delay the action by locking their premises and staying at home. Others argued that the rent was exorbitant and had even approached the Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) and courts for relief. However, PMC officials, following the Chief Officer’s orders, sealed the shops.
The crackdown yielded quick results as defaulters scrambled to clear their dues.
