The affected vendors, along with Vasco MLA Krishna Salkar, while offering prayers at Damodar Temple on Friday.
VASCO
Vasco MLA Krishna Salkar on Friday said repairworks at the fire-ravaged Vasco Sunday Modern Market would begin on November 1,with efforts to restore the premises and enable the traders to resume businessby December 1.
The announcement has come as a major relief toaround 140 vendors whose shops and stocks were destroyed in the devastatingfire on Thursday, with traders now hoping to restart their businesses in timefor the Christmas festive season.
"The repair works will begin immediatelyon November 1. Meanwhile, the process of verifying the losses suffered byindividual vendors and assessing their claims for compensation has alsocommenced in parallel, so that the government can extend assistance to theaffected traders," Salkar said.
He said Chief Minister Pramod Sawant hadsuggested temporarily relocating the affected vendors to another location sothat they could continue their business. However, the vendors have expressedtheir willingness to wait for a month, provided they are allowed to resumebusiness at the same location.
Salkar said Urban Development MinisterVishwajit Rane had personally spoken to the vendors' association and had alsocalled him on Friday to ensure that the necessary letter was sent by theMormugao Municipal Council (MMC) to the Directorate of Municipal Administration(DMA), facilitating speedy completion of procedures and approvals.
"We want to complete the repair works andre-establish the vendors by December 1. We offered prayers seeking divineintervention to remove any obstacles in the process and blessings for thesuccessful completion of this work," Salkar said.
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Vendors pray for a fresh start
VASCO: Vendors of the Vasco Sunday Modern Market,along with Vasco MLA Krishna Salkar, offered prayers at the Damodar Temple onFriday morning.
Speaking to media persons, the affected vendorshave urged authorities to adhere to the one-month timeline, as reopening byDecember would give them an opportunity to rebuild their businesses during thecrucial Christmas season.
The affected vendors said they had lost thecrucial Diwali business season and suffered huge losses after the firedestroyed their shops and stocks.
However, they remain hopeful that the proposedDecember 1 reopening will give them an opportunity to rebuild their businessesand make up for at least some of their losses during the forthcoming Christmasfestive season.
"We have lost Diwali, but we do not wantto lose Christmas as well. We are willing to wait for a month if theauthorities ensure that we can return to the same place and restart ourbusinesses. Our only hope now is that the repair works are completed within thepromised timeframe," said a vendor.
Salkar said the prayers were offered to thankGod that despite the massive loss of stocks and the chaos that prevailed duringthe fire, there was no loss of life. He said the situation could potentiallyhave led to a stampede.
