Will take panchayats and concerned MLAs into confidence to sort out problem
MAPUSA
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, on Monday, assured the State Legislative Assembly that the issue of the displaced kiosk owners outside the Goa Medical College and Hospital complex at Bambolim will be resolved within eight days and rightful owners will be rehabilitated.
Sawant also said that every owner will be entitled for a kiosk but if anyone owns more than one unit which has been sublet to others, then those will not be considered.
“There is no order as such for them to claim rights but since they are Goans we will consider accommodating them. The collector will draw a plan to accommodate the kiosk owners. We will take the panchayats and the concerned MLAs into confidence and resolve the problem within the next eight days,” Sawant said.
The chief minister was responding to the kiosk issue raised by Santa Cruz MLA Tony Fernandes during the Zero Hour.
A total of 38 kiosks and 16 fruit vendors have to be accommodated in the specified area outside the GMC complex.
Among the 38 kiosks, five belong to the owners under the Deen Dayal category.
Sawant informed that the government had drawn up plans to rehabilitate the kiosk owners but in the meantime the five Deen Dayal kiosk owners had moved the court.
“The court issued a direction asking to retain a distance of one and a half metre between each of the Deen Dayal kiosks which disrupted the entire plan we had drawn,” he said.
He further said the collector will now redraw the plan and accommodate all those people who were displaced.
Earlier, Santa Cruz MLA, Tony Fernandes while raising the issue said even after three months the government has failed to fulfill its promise to rehabilitate the kiosk owners outside the GMC.
He said the authorities bulldozed their way and demolished all the kiosks early morning on July 1, without informing him or the neighbouring MLA Francis Silveira.
“We have been following up the matter with the CM, collector and other officials but without any success. We are in the government but still we are unable to find a solution to the problem for the last three months,” Fernandes said and appealed to the CM for a quick fix.
St Andre MLA, Francis Silveira also demanded a concreted assurance from the CM in the matter.
Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai also intervened in the discussion questioning the government’s attitude towards the locals who ran the small kiosks for survival.
“Those who were displaced from the spot outside the GMC are original bhumiputras. The CM has been propagating Atmanirbhar around the State. Is destroying someone’s business Atmanirbhar?” Sardesai questioned.
