Hold protest by downing shutters, march to MLA’s house
Former MMA chief Ashish Shirodkar along with present MMA President Shripad Sawant and others addressing the media outside the residence of Mapusa MLA on Tuesday morning.
Photo Credits: Agnelo Pereira
MAPUSA
The Mapusa merchants held an impromptu protest by downing their shutters on Tuesday morning and later met local MLA Joshua D’Souza seeking his intervention to resolve the issue of original lease holders of shops/stalls in the municipal market who have allegedly violated the agreement with the council by illegally sub-leasing the property to third persons.
The merchants demanded legislative cure to the problem in the form of an ordinance to make necessary changes in the municipality act in order to save their shops/stalls from slipping out of their hands.
Over 100 shopkeepers closed their shops in the Mapusa municipal market and later converged at the residence of the local MLA. The executive committee members of the Mapusa Merchants Association (MMA) along with some former executive members met the MLA and handed over a memorandum to him requesting his intervention.
“The only possible respite from this problem is to bring an ordinance to make necessary changes in the law. We request you to please pursue the matter with the government and bring this ordinance urgently. We also request you to take our case with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Minister for Urban Development Vishwajit Rane,” said Shripad Sawant, President of MMA in the memorandum.
D’Souza has reportedly informed the delegation that he sympathised with the merchants and would do everything to help them in the matter.
Former president of MMA, Ashish Shirodkar informed that hundreds of families were dependent on the business that they have been running for the last more than 40 years in the municipal market.
“We have not committed any crime. We represent almost 4,000 families who survive in this business and we are concerned about them. We respect the High Court but we want to be represented properly in the decision making," Shirodkar said.
He said all the shopkeepers pay regular tax but the sudden turn of events on account of the PIL has put considerable stress on them.
The High Court of Bombay at Goa had recently issued notice to the Mapusa Chief Officer Amitesh Shirvoikar directing him to file reply within two weeks in a PIL where the petitioner, Jawaharlal Shetye alleged that the civic body refused to take action against sub-letting of municipal properties.
The Chief Officer had recently issued show-cause notices to 309 original lease holders of shops/stalls in the municipal market.
