MAPUSA
The government has asked the Bardez Bazaar Consumers’ Co-operative Society Ltd to vacate its premises at Morod, Mapusa, to make way for the proposed six-storey Bardez Bhavan, an integrated government complex intended to house various departments and public offices.
In a communique dated August 19, the Bardez Block Development Officer (BDO) has requested the society’s chairman to make alternative arrangements and hand over peaceful possession of the premises to the government at the earliest to facilitate the commencement of construction.
However, the notice raises questions over the delay in seeking the premises back, given that the society’s lease agreement expired nearly nine years ago. The notice also does not specify a deadline by which the society must vacate the property, instead asking it to hand over possession at an early date.
According to the BDO’s communication, the premises, measuring 960 square metres with a built-up area of 440 square metres, were leased to the society under an agreement executed on April 15, 2016. The lease covered the period from November 13, 2012, to November 12, 2017.
The BDO has stated that the lease expired on November 12, 2017, and was neither renewed nor extended by the competent authority.
Bardez Bazaar, a cooperative supermarket that has operated from government premises at Morod for several decades, now faces the prospect of shifting its operations to an alternative location to facilitate the redevelopment of the site.
The Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) has been entrusted with executing the proposed government complex. In a letter dated July 7, 2026, the corporation sought vacant possession of the land and structure, stating that the entire plot, including the building occupied by Bardez Bazaar, falls within the earmarked project site.
The BDO’s notice states that vacant possession is required urgently to enable site clearance, demolition and construction in accordance with the approved plans.
While the government has cited public interest and the need to expedite the project, the absence of a specific vacating deadline leaves the timeline for the society’s relocation unclear.
