The Mandovi River front from Panjim market to Campal has become another place for all the fairs of the year causing a massive inconvenience to the traffic.
Stalls for fairs, including the International Film Festival Festival’s (IFFI), Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali and now Panjim feast are being erected at the river front on the promenade parallel to the Panjim Miramar road. Now Panjim feast fair has also got a new venue there as shopkeepers have objected to the fair at the Church Square.
The rush has been seen at the peak hour in the evening at all the time during the day at the promenade when fair and food festivals have been organised. This is not only creating a major problem of traffic movement in the heart of the capital city but reflects an ugly side of management of Corporation City of Panaji.
During Chaturthi the promenade remains under stalls for almost 15 days, for a week during Diwali and eight days during the IFFI. Recently the fair for the Panjim feast was held for three days.
On one hand the CCP has done a great job this time rejecting permission for fair at Church Square but on other hand they pay a blind eye to the fair at the Mandovi River front.
Commissioner of CCP Dipak Desai said that due to number of complaints the permission for fairs was rejected at the Church Square and further informed that they have not given any official permission to hold fair at the river front.
“I cannot comment further, we have not granted any permission for fair at the river front,” Desai said when contacted to know how CCP has allowed the fair at the river front.
“These fairs or any other festivals should be organised or should be given permission out of the city jurisdiction because Panjim is a very busy city and traffic movement goes dawdling”, Rajendra Bhingui, a local said.
Mario Fernandes, another resident, said that at least the fairs should not be given permissions at the road side.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Dharmesh Angle said that nobody is consulting the Traffic Police Department before sanctioning such permissions in the city.
“We have strongly protested the act of the corporation and sent a written representation to them regarding the problems the city faces by holding such fairs,” Angle said.
