ZAIRA NORONHA
ALDONA
It was one of the first village market complexes in the State, but the market complex in Aldona could now well be one of the weakest market structures and on the verge of collapse.
The land which houses the Aldona market complex is owned by the Fabrica of the St Thomas Church and the land was granted to the Aldona Panchayat on long term basis, to construct a proper market.
In 1972, Aldona was one of the first panchayats in Goa to boast of a market building, built under the Rural Development Agency (RDA) funds. This came as a big relief to residents, who were saved the trouble of going all the way to Mapusa for their purchases.
However, neglect and lack of maintenance took its toll and the structure soon began to deteriorate and in need of urgent renovation. A small piece of concrete recently fell down close to a vendor, causing alarm among those in the market.
Many fish/vegetable vendors and shopkeepers, who spoke to The Goan on condition of anonymity for fear of being targeted by authorities, said the dilapidated market complex was a clear case of lethargy and neglect.
A vendor selling fish for two decades here said she had earlier been paying sopo tax of Rs 10 per day to the sopo collector.
“I have seen the steady decline of the place. The panchayat hardly maintained the building and occasionally did some superficial repairs only to hoodwink the people. For the last four years, nobody has bothered to collect this sopo tax,” said the fish vendor.
Voicing similar views, two other vegetable vendors said all their complaints had fallen on deaf ears.
Three shopkeepers lamented about the condition of the market complex and sought to blame Aldona panchayat and the church for the situation.
“On the one hand, the panchayat never maintained the building despite collecting rent. Now, they have stopped collecting rent for the past four years. On the other hand, the Church has not given permission to reconstruct a new market building,” said one shopkeeper.
The shopkeepers bitterly complained about the lack of interest shown by successive panchayat bodies.
“There has been no proper coordination between the panchayat and the MLA. While one can easily notice the weakened structure, no one really cares and authorities may be forced to wake up from their slumber if and when the structure collapses,” remarked another shopkeeper.
