Team Herald
PONDA: The South Goa Planning Development Authority (SGPDA) owned market at Usgao is on the verge of collapse.
Repeated demands by the vendors operating out of the market and a market bandh called by them to force the SGPDA to renovate the market building has not moved the government agency.
The building was constructed in the year 1993 and since then it has not seen a repair and much less a renovation.
Usgao Sarpanch Ramnath Dangi said that since the construction of the market building, it has not seen any maintenance which has made the structure weak.
“We are doing business by risking our lives and property. We don’t know when this building will collapse. Hence, we request the government to take our grievances seriously,” said a vendor who operates out of the SGPDA market in Usgao.
The hall on first floor of the building has not been used for a decade due to lack of maintenance. The problem had been highlighted several times in the past. “We had brought these problems to the notice of SGPDA, but nothing was done to resolve it,” said another vendor.
During monsoons the broken roof sheets add to the woes of vendors and shopkeepers, as water seeps into the hall during rains.
Usgao Sarpanch Dangi said that the panchayat could not be held responsible incase the building collapses. Explaining why the panchayat cannot be held responsible if the market building collapses, he said the panchayat is not getting any revenue from the vendors operating out of the market; nevertheless, they generate huge garbage which the panchayat clears from time to time without charging any fee from the vendors.
Dangi said that the panchayat had brought the dangerous condition of the building to notice of SGPDA, but nothing has been done so far.
The sarpanch said, “We have written to SGPDA to handover the project to the panchayat so that we can generate income and carry out maintenance. In response to our proposal SGPDA asked the panchayat to deposit Rs 40 lakh which is not financially possible for Panchayat.”
Last year, the SGPDA had assured to appoint a consultant so as to undertake reconstruction work of the building, but till date the assurance remained only an assurance.
