Quepem Municipal Council which came into existence in 1970 and has a long, 46 year history is struggling to get its own market complex today. Councillors, the local MLA and other made efforts to get a full-fledged market complex but nobody knows why their long pending dream has not come to fruition. Six years back, local MLA Chandrakant Kavlekar during the Congress regime made efforts to build a market. Parts of the old market were demolished but things did not move an inch thereafter. When Herald tried to find out the progress report of Quepem market complex, it revealed many loopholes and other problems.
Five years back, this project got the sanction from the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) that they will construct a market complex by spending Rs 1 crore in which they were supposed to rehabilitate the present shopkeepers who are in the old market. The council had planned to construct a huge complex in the same place where the old market building is situated. They wanted to construct a fish and vegetable market by demolishing the existing structure. After the fall of the Congress rule, the DMA rejected the proposal of the Council giving various reasons. Then the Goa Infrastructure Development Corporation (GIDC) showed their willingness to construct the market project. The primary proposal was sent to the GSIDC and they even promised the MLA and the council that they will finance this project.
This file, however, is pending in the Town and Country Planning Department (TCP) for payment of Rs 13 lakh. The council does not have funds and the GSIDC is not ready to pay the fees to the TCP and hence the market complex file is blocked for the last six months.
The second problem is rehabilitation of shopkeepers and offices. The shop owners are not ready to leave the place till they get a concrete agreement from the council. They are demanding a temporary place to carry on with their business till such time as the construction is complete.
They also do not want shops in the new complex on a rental basis while also asking for ownership in the proposed complex which the council is not ready to give. Under the Goa golden jubilee fund, the council constructed a commercial building and wanted to shift the shop owners into that building till the construction of the proposed market but did not receive a positive response. The commercial complex was recently inaugurated but it continues to remain
unused.
Vendors are forced to sit in the open in the absence of a proper building. The council has installed sheds for vendors but they have now encroached on to the footpath. Even chicken and other meat is sold in the open and this gives a shabby look to the town. Locals question when they will get a full-fledged market but no one seems to answer the question.
Herald questioned Quepem Municipal Council chairperson, Filu D’Costa about the delay in this project and he mentioned that the file is in the TCP office. He also expressed confidence that the project would take shape soon.
In addition to market issues, QMC has taxes due and the council is striving hard to recover from this. They have issue notices to defaulters to pay their dues urgently and have also appointed a recovery officer for this purpose.
QMC Chief Officer Pramod Dessai said, “The council has been instructed not to spare any defaulter. I have told my office to begin the recovery campaign. We are confident of achieving good results with respect to reducing the outstanding due. Some issues like recovery from petroleum companies have to be resolved and I am sure we will
recover taxes.”
