PANAJI:
The recent incident where several sheets of the roof of Panaji municipal market got blown off in rains and strong winds may have given the Corporation of the City of Panaji a lever to get the market tenants to comply with legal requirements of executing leases, an issue pending for two decades.
Currently, the CCP is engaged in temporary repairs to the roof to prevent leakage and inconvenience to both vendors and people visiting the market but a senior official said the technical section is preparing the tender for a more solid refurbishment of the entire market complex.
According to the official, CCP Mayor Rohit Monserrate has issued instructions to install new roof-sheets.
Monserrate has also asked the Municipal Engineer to prepare a detailed tender for the overall repair and renovation of the entire market complex, including the toilet block in the northern side of the complex.
Meanwhile, sources said, Monserrate may leverage the proposal to repair and renovate the market complex to coerce the market tenants to execute the lease agreements so that the CCP can generate revenue from rents.
Since the occupation of the new market in 2004, the tenants have paid zero in rents to the CCP as no formal lease agreements were executed afresh. All that the civic body earns from the market are the miniscule amounts collected from 'sopo tax' charged to the vendors.
The CCP has been paying the power and water bills of the market and recently cleared the arrears to the PWD and Electricity department to the extent of nearly Rs 6 crore.
