MARGAO
It’s a week now since the Margao Municipality had ordered a stop to the work of the parking plaza at the Old Market, but there’s still no sign of the early resumption of the work on the ambitious parking lot in Fatorda.
When Margao civic officials on Saturday last had descended at the parking plaza site to order the contractor to stop all work on the project, hopes were raised that work would commence after officials of Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) explain the plans and other details to Margao Municipal Chairperson Damu Shirodkar.
When The Goan asked Margao Municipal Chairperson Damu Shirodkar to shed light on the fate of the parking plaza at the Old Market, he said the Margao Municipal officials are seized of the matter and has asked for demarcation of the acquired property in question.
He further said the Municipality would like to know the detailed parking plan given that the acquired property fetches huge revenue for the civic body by way of sopo during the annual feast fairs on the land in question.
When it was pointed out to him that the parking plaza project has provision for parking only on the ground unlike multi-level concrete structures, the MMC chairperson said he has been informed that though the parking plaza will be set up only on the ground, he has asked GSUDA to submit the detailed plan of the project. “The acquired land at Old Market is being used to host the feast fairs, which has helped the civic body earn lakhs of rupees by way of sopo fees,” he said.
Meanwhile, questions are being raised in the corridors of the civic body whether the MMC can stall the parking plaza project on grounds that the project will affect the sopo revenue earned by the civic body. For, even Municipal officials in private admitted that the land in question was specifically acquired by the Margao Municipality for the purpose of parking and not to hold feast fairs.
Stoppage of work by the Margao Municipality on the parking plaza project had triggered a fresh bout of boxing between Congress-turned-Margao MLA Digambar Kamat and Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai, who represents the neighbournig Fatorda constituency.
In fact, Sardesai had blamed the Margao MLA for trying to sabotage the parking plaza from coming up at the Old Market, Fatorda, a charge flatly rejected by the Margao MLA.
