THE GOAN NETWORK
MAPUSA
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday used his visit to Mapusa for the BJP’s ‘Seva Jyoti Yatra’ to take stock of two long-pending issues concerning the town – the condition of the municipal fish market and the proposed government administrative complex at Morod.
Sawant, accompanied by Mapusa MLA Joshua D’Souza and civic officials, visited the fish market and interacted with vendors to understand the problems they continue to face.
The chief minister subsequently issued directions to authorities concerned to address deficiencies at the market and ensure that the required facilities are made available to vendors.
The visit comes barely two months after a multi-department inspection of the market had highlighted several shortcomings, including poor sanitation, clogged drains, inadequate toilets, irregular water supply and deficiencies in basic infrastructure.
The fish market has for years remained a major civic concern, with vendors and consumers complaining about inadequate facilities despite the Mapusa Municipal Council collecting market-related fees.
Sawant also visited the existing government complex at Morod and reviewed plans for the proposed new administrative complex in the area.
The Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) has proposed a multi-storey Government Administrative Complex at Morod at an estimated cost of around Rs 110 crore, with the objective of bringing various government departments currently functioning from different locations in Mapusa under one roof. The proposal has received technical approval and is being processed for financial sanction.
The proposed complex is aimed at ending the long-standing problem of government offices being scattered across Mapusa and making it easier for residents to access different departments without having to move from one location to another.
In the meantime, the government has already begun consolidating offices at the new Mapusa Municipal Council commercial complex at Angod. Several departments have shifted there, while others are in the process of moving.
The government is also working on plans to shift the Deputy Collector’s and Mamlatdar’s offices to a new hall in the market area, a move intended to make these key revenue offices more accessible to the public.
