The tender could not be floated this year as there is a proposition from the collector’s office to ban parking on roadsides in Old Goa and shift the parking area to Bakia’s property on a permanent basis.
Vinayak Phadte,
Sarpanch-Old Goa
.....
Parking issue dominates Old Goa meet
Questions on how fees are collected without floating tender
THE GOAN NETWORK
OLD GOA
The issue of pay parking within the jurisdiction of Se Old Goa Panchayat was debated with questions being raised over the collection of parking fees by the panchayat despite no tender being floated for it.
At the gram sabha on Sunday, Glen Cabral opined that since the panchayat has not floated a tender for pay parking, it has no right to collect fees for the same. “The collection of parking fees should be stopped,” he demanded.
However, Sarpanch Vinayak Phadte said the tender could not be floated this year as there is a proposition from the collector’s office to ban parking on roadsides in Old Goa and shift the parking area to Bakia’s property on a permanent basis.
“Till date, we have not been intimated when the proposal will be put into effect, but till that time we have decided to collect parking fees by engaging our own labourers on a daily wage basis,” Phadte informed while stating that the panchayat should not lose on the much needed revenue.
“Further, if we float the tender which goes for around Rs 7-8 lakh, the winning bidder will be at loss if the pay parking is later shifted to Bakia’s property as the tender for that area will be floated by the Collector’s office,” Phadte opined.
The issue of damage to the approach road leading to Navelcar’s hill city was also discussed with the residents urging the sarpanch to direct the PWD officials, involved in widening of NH4A bypass road, to repair the road before the onset of monsoons.
Speaking on the issue, Ramesh Banastarkar informed that while the service road has been hot-mixed, a portion of about 40 metres of the approach road has been damaged and has not been asphalted.
“There are around 2500 residents residing in the area who mostly use the NH4A bypass road to travel to Panaji and the uneven 40-metre road is a threat to the lives of the motorists, particularly two-wheeler users,” Banastarkar added.
Sarpanch Phadte assured the residents that he will send a copy of the resolution to the PWD authorities and also write to the contractor undertaking the works to repair the road on an urgent basis.
Another issue that figured was the operation of kiosks near the Old Goa pillary (hat kambo) junction very close to the speed breakers.
A villager Bernadette Fernandes pointed that despite her plea to remove all the kiosks, some are still in operation. “Many drivers park their vehicles on the road when they buy stuff from these kiosks which obstructs smooth flow of traffic,” Fernandes pointed out.
However, Sarpanch Phadte said he has removed all the unauthorized carts as per the resolution taken during the last gram sabha.
But, when Fernandes pointed out that more kiosks inside private properties have come up, Phadte said he cannot act as he did not receive any complaints on these kiosks.
Earlier, a 27-member village development committee was also appointed.
