The empty space near the Malim Jetty after several kiosks were removed from the roadside.
Photo Credits: Anil Shankhwalker
PORVORIM
With most owners having removed their kiosks owners along the busy road near Malim Jetty, the Penha de Franca panchayat now has plans to set up a hawkers zone in the area.
“Most of the kiosks owners have removed their kiosks on their own and remaining kiosks owners also will remove their structures in a few days,” said Penha de Franca Sarpanch Swapnil Chodankar.
“The Panchayat is trying to create a hawkers zone and we have spoken to the local MLA in this regard. Some of these kiosk owners who were in the business for number of years will be accommodated in the hawkers zone.”
The High Court of Bombay at Goa had passed an order on March 6 directing all panchayats and municipal councils to take necessary action against all the unauthorised roadside structures in their respective areas.
Accordingly, the Directorate of Panchayats had issued a memorandum on March 13 directing all panchayats in Goa to remove these unauthorised roadside structures in their areas.
Acting on the memorandum, the Penha de Franca panchayat had issued notices to 79 kiosk owners at Malim and nearby areas to remove their structures by April 15.
Since there was no move on the part of kiosk owners to remove their kiosk, the panchayat directed the owners to remove their kiosks, failing which their kiosks would be demolished using JCB machines.
Sources said the PWD had made efforts in 2013 to widen the road near the Malim Fish Jetty in a bid to decongest the area.
The PWD at Mapusa had written a letter to the Penha de Franca panchayat on July 11, 2013 stating that traffic congestion near Malim Jetty had been hampering smooth traffic flow on account of insufficient width of the road, causing hardships to motorists, pedestrians and residents in the area.
The panchayat had issued notices to kiosks owners in 2013, but did not pursue efforts to remove these kiosks, allowing these kiosks to remain at Malim.
But with the high court’s order, the panchayat had been compelled to take action against these roadside kiosks.
