Key demands on lease arrears, renewals and transfers remain unresolved
MAPUSA
The June 1 deadline set by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to address the long-pending issues of the Mapusa merchant community has passed without any visible progress, raising fresh questions about the government’s ability to deliver on its promises.
Nearly a month after a high-level meeting between the government and representatives of the Mapusa Merchants Association (MMA), none of the major concerns raised by traders have been resolved.
Despite the delay, merchant leaders continue to express confidence in the government’s assurances, attributing the lack of progress to administrative procedures and official formalities.
The deadline was announced during a meeting on May 5, where the Chief Minister and other ministers assured merchants that key demands, including the waiver of lease arrears and the speedy renewal and transfer of leases, would be addressed by June 1.
However, with the deadline now missed, traders are still waiting for concrete action.
“We are following up with different departments. The work is in progress, but we cannot say when it will be completed,” MMA Secretary Siddhesh Raut said.
Raut said the government remained committed to fulfilling the assurances given to merchants and that the delay should not be seen as a lack of intent.
“While the process has taken longer than expected, the work is very much in progress and will be completed as assured by the Chief Minister and the Urban Development Minister,” he said.
According to the MMA, the government has already agreed in principle to some of the key demands. However, for hundreds of affected merchants, these assurances have yet to translate into official orders or tangible relief.
Raut said the association has been in regular contact with the local MLA and government departments and acknowledged that administrative processes take time.
For many traders, however, the missed deadline has revived memories of past assurances that generated optimism but failed to produce results within the promised timeframe.
Several members of the merchant community privately admitted to being disappointed by the lack of progress.
However, with discussions still ongoing and no alternative mechanism available to resolve their grievances, most continue to place their trust in the government’s promises.
