the goan I network
MAPUSA
Amidst opposition from two ruling councillors, the Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) gave a go-ahead to the plan to redevelop the Mapusa market.
MMC Chairperson Rohan Kavlekar set the ball rolling at the special council meeting on Tuesday, stating that refurbishment of the municipal market was a good plan, which would give Mapusa market a facelift and appealed to all councillors to support the plan.
The chairperson also said the civic body needed to offer better facilities to the public and the market's redevelopment plan offered an excellent opportunity to do so.
"It's a good project. The refurbishment of the market will be a good platform for the business community and shoppers who will visit the market. The project will also generate revenue to the council," Kavlekar said.
Strongly opposing the shade (canopy) over the market, councillor, Tushar Tople said the shade would change the face of the market and would destroy the market built by the visionary Portuguese.
"I am against the shade. The shade will change the face of the market and create a lot of problem for maintenance," Tople said.
Senior councillor, Ryan Braganza gave thumbs up to the plan but urged the council to ensure that there was a good distance between the structures (shops) and the canopy that will cover the market.
"There should be at least 3 metres height between the structures in the market and the canopy for air to circulate around," Braganza said.
"The Portuguese built a beautiful market but we have made a mess of it," he said and expected the new plan to do away the problems in the market.
He further said that the new market should also been seen in the tourism point of view.
Former chairperson and senior councillor, Sudhir Kandolkar and councilor, Rajsingh Rane also spoke in favour of the new market plan.
In the 20-member council, 15 councilors voted for the plan. Two councillors - Tushar Tople and Vibha Salgaonkar - opposed the plan while senior councillors, Sandip Falari and Sudhir Kandolkar abstained from voting on the plan as they own shops in the market.
Market chairman and councillor, Sanjay Mishal was not present for the meeting.
In the last budget, Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar had made special allocation of Rs 20 crore for Mapusa, which will be used for redevelopment of the market.
Last month, The Goan in a three part series - "Revitalizing Mapusa Market" - had brought out detail plans of the new market project.
Merchants may takeover footpaths in redeveloped market, cautions Falari
MAPUSA: Giving his nod to the plan, former chairperson and councillor, Sandip Falari said the shade (canopy) over the market would change the character of the market, but cautioned the council that covering of the market would convert the roads inside the market into footpaths and the merchant community may want the current footpaths to be added to their premises.
"Once the market is covered, the merchants will take over the footpaths. Make sure that no request to convert present footpaths as part of shops will be entertained by the council," Falari said.
He further said that currently around 1,000 vendors were squatting in the market while the new plan makes provision for only 600 vendors.
"With one stroke you are sending 400 vendors home," he said.
Allaying the fears, Chairperson Rohan Kavlekar said the civic body was in the process of forming a vending zone and most vendors would be accommodated there.
