PANAJI
Already facing the brunt of dwindling footfalls due to the traffic and other disruptions caused by the smart city work, businesses and traders have begun to feel the pinch from small fly-by-night hawkers operating from Panaji's pavements and roadside spaces and have urged the Corporation of the City of Panaji to put an end to this illegal activity.
A few business owners and traders operating in the capital city have written to CCP Commissioner, Clen Madeira, demanding that stern action be taken against these individuals who are operating illegally from footpaths and roadside spaces doing business.
"Due to this illegal business of selling goods on footpaths and also from vehicles alongside roads in the city, it affects the legal businesses of the undersigned. It is being carried out illegally without any permission from the CCP and without obtaining any licences from any government authority," the letter signed by the business owners said.
Owners of Andani Enterprises, Malsons Shoes, Vasanti Footwear and Cross Road are some of the signatories to the letter, a copy of which has also been delivered to the Superintendent of Police (Traffic) and Panaji Police Station in-charge.
They said besides adversely impacting their business which is carried out on payment of all taxes, these illegal pavement and road side businesses are detrimental to movement of people and traffic in the city and creates nuisance, they said in the letter to the CCP commissioner.
They have pin-pointed and also enclosed photographs of spots along the MG Road, the area near the Pizza Hut outlet, the footpath along Panaji Residency and along the Mandovi riverside road.
