Team Herald
PONDA: In a meeting held on Friday, Ponda Municipal Council (PMC) has decided to auction the shops in the four-storey Municipal Market Complex to vendors in three categories and make the complex, with around 150 shops, fully operational before Ganesh Chaturthi.
It may be recalled that the ambitious market Complex in prime location at Upper Bazaar had remained unutilised for the past five years, as some vendors were reluctant to shift there.
Addressing the media after the meeting, Chairperson Radhika Naik said all vendors would be given an opportunity to shift to the complex and the shops would be auctioned to vendors in three categories.
In the first category the 16 vendors who were relocated at Indira market during the widening of highway would be shifted to the complex as per High Court direction.
In the second category, 43 cloth vendors would be relocated to shops in the complex, who would have to pay a monthly rent to PMC.
In the third category, the remaining shops would be auctioned to category of unemployed youth and women who were interested in doing business here.
The aim of auction was to fill the vacant shops in the complex and earn revenue for PMC, she said, adding that the Municipal library had already been shifted here along with a Consumer Society. Further, the PMC is now prepared to use the parking space in the complex from August.
The parking facility has a capacity of 200 bikes and around 80 cars at the basement and security would be appointed to manage the parking space. CCTV cameras too would be set up at the market complex.
PMC also plans to shift the fish market temporarily to basement of the complex, so that the repair work at the market could be carried out, with a cost of Rs 6 lakh.
The chairperson also said that the govt has given the PMC a grant of Rs 3 crore and various development works like community toilets, garden, retaining walls etc.
would be constructed, using the funds .
