Margao Municipal Council Chief Officer Gaurish Sankhwalkar at a joint meeting with officials of agencies to chalk out plans for the Purumentachem fest.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
Will the Margao Municipal Chief Officer Gaurish Sankhwalkar comply with the 2015 High Court Order regulating the conduct of the feast fair at the Old market area of the commercial capital during the ensuing Purumentachem fest, beginning from May 19?
This question has come to the fore in the light of the bitter experience during the December 8 feast fair at the old market area, when the feast fair just continued for days together beyond the stipulated time frame, raising questions over accountability in the conduct of the fair.
Questions are also raised whether the departments including the fire department, besides the electricity department will get the hawkers to obtain separate electric connections for the individual stalls and direct them to make arrangements for fire extinguishers at the fair.
The Margao Municipal Chief Officer had a joint meeting with officials of various agencies, including DySP, traffic Prabodh Shirwaikar, Margao PI Tulsidas Naik, Fire Officer Gill D’Sa, MMC engineers, besides SGDPA officials how to go about the coming fair.
The joint meeting also assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of the fact that the SGPDA grounds, which normally plays host to the furniture stalls, will play host to the National Skating championship.
After the meeting, the officials later conducted a site inspection of the area in and around Old market not only to earmark the area for the stalls, but to chalk out traffic and parking arrangements.
“We had called for a joint meeting of the government agencies to draw their attention to the 2015 High Court order regulating the conduct of the feast fair at the Old market. The order envisages roles for each of the departments. We have impressed upon the officials to ensure the directions are complied with”, the Chief Officer said.
To a question, the Chief Officer admitted that the High Court order makes it categorically clear that the feast fair at the Old market cannot exceed seven days. The CO’s statement assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of the fact that the December 8, 2023 feast fair had exceeded 10 days.
High Court
directions
*The respondents are directed that the fairs on the occasion of the feast of Holy Spirit and the feast of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception shall be conducted at the SGPDA ground and the roads leading to the Colva on the southern side only, the ring road and the internal road referred to in Option A in the said recommendations of the learned Collector on the spaces as depicted in the plan marked 'X' for identification
*The respondents are directed not to allow any stalls/structures to be erected for such fairs on the main Panajim-Margao road up to the old market circle, the road leading to Margao City on the southern side and the road leading to Ponda on the eastern side of the said traffic circle
* Remaining conditions/steps as mentioned in the report of the learned Collector and specified at para 5 (1) to (17) herein above shall form part of the directions of this Court
*The said two fairs on the occasion of the said two feats shall be conducted in the light of the observations made herein above in accordance with law
