PANAJI
Panaji’s much-anticipated Street Food Zone project, announced jointly by the State government and the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) nearly a year ago, has hit a roadblock due to prolonged indecision over its exact location.
Initially envisioned as a vibrant culinary hub to promote local vendors and boost tourism, the project now finds itself in limbo just months before the CCP elections.
The plan had aimed to create a designated area in the capital city where street food vendors could operate on the lines of similar arrangements in other global tourist destinations. However, conflicting opinions within the CCP and resistance from local residents over proposed sites like the Campal promenade and areas near Miramar beach stalled it.
According to a senior CCP official, lack of consensus on the location delayed the groundwork. With the term of the current CCP, headed by Mayor Rohit Monserrate, nearing its end and elections due just five months away in February-March 2026, sources suggest the current council is unlikely to push the project forward. Instead, the responsibility may fall to the next elected body, which will inherit both the vision and the logistical challenges.
Local vendors, meanwhile, remain hopeful but frustrated, as they were looking forward to better facilities and space to operate from where they would not be bothered by the authorities. Urban planners have also weighed in, urging authorities to consider traffic flow, sanitation, and accessibility before finalising the site.
As Panaji prepares for civic polls, the Street Food Zone could become a symbolic issue representing both the promise of urban renewal and the pitfalls of political indecision.
