Mapusa market panel opposes bigger space for kiosk owners

the goan I networkrMAPUSA rr“Municipality is not a charitable institution where anyone can set up shop in open space and then claim rehabilitation in the market,” Mishal said. rHe said he was aware of cases where people have taken shops from the municipal council and rented it to others. rMishal was speaking at a recent council meeting to decide on rehabilitation of 13 kiosks existing opposite the Carvalho Petrol Pump, along the Parra-Mapusa road. rThe kiosks along the road have to go as part of road widening and beautification project along the Parra-Mapusa road. rSpeaking further, he said those kiosks which are just 3 sq mts in size could be given 8 sq mts of shop but the council should charge the owner for the extra 5 sq mt at market rate. rThinking on the same lines, councilor Tushar Tople suggested that the council should obtain full construction fee of the shops from the displaced kiosk owners. r“There should be a system in place and people should not be given shops free of cost,” he said. rThere are 13 kiosks in all along the stretch “ eight less than 8 sq mts and five above 8 sq mts in size. rAccording to MMC Chairperson Rohan Kavlekar, the council had decided to allot each of the kiosk owners a shop with an area of 16 sq mts on the first floor in Mapusa market. r“The Director of Municipal Administration has returned the file stating that as per writ petition 148/97 the kiosks had no right to be there in the first place. rThe DMA said it could consider a proposal of allotting 8 sq mts area to them instead of 16 sq mts,” Kavlekar rinformed. rFormer chairperson and senior councilor Sandip Falari reiterated that the priority was to widen and develop the Parra-Mapusa road and to do that the kiosk owners will have to be rehabilitated. rHe said the council could re-consider its earlier decision and allot shops of 8 sq mts to all those having less than 8 sq mts area and 16 sq mts to those who have kiosks above 8 sq mts in area. rSenior councilor, Sudhir Kandolkar also said that some consideration should be given to the kiosk owners.