MAPUSA
Just three months away from the 2022 assembly elections and seven long years after the Goa Engineering College declared the Aldona market building unfit for occupation, the local panchayat decided to hold a meeting with stakeholders to resolve issues on reconstruction of the market building.
Over the years, the unstable Aldona market building complex has been shrinking bit by bit, with cement pieces peeling off, but business activity was allowed to continue under the structure much to the risk of the occupants and the general public.
In 2018, fresh from a resounding second term victory, Aldona MLA Glenn Ticlo had publicly stated that the Aldona market complex was in extremely vulnerable condition and also directed the local panchayat to immediately take steps to seal the complex to avoid any untoward incident.
But nothing of that sort happened in the last four years and it was business as usual under the crumbling market complex, until Aldona Sarpanch, Pranesh Naik decided to call a meeting of panchayat members, representatives of Fabrica of the St Thomas Church, shopkeepers and vendors and the local MLA on Thursday (Oct 14).
At the meeting, the sarpanch and the panchayat members stressed on the dangerous condition of the market building and sought cooperation from the Fabrica and the shopkeepers to resolve the issue of the reconstruction of the building at the earliest.
Nelson Figueiredo who was representing the Fabrica informed the meeting that the Fabrica was ready to work within the framework of the two agreements it signed with the panchayat in 1972 and 2006.
“We have requested the panchayat to provide us with the details and plans of the new proposed market complex so that we can study the plans and then take an appropriate decision in the matter,” Figueiredo told The Goan.
The shopkeepers also hoped that all issues would be resolved so that work on the reconstruction of the complex can be taken up at the earliest.
In 2014, the Goa Engineering College in a report had said the complex was dangerous and unsafe and declared the market structure unfit for residence.
So, was the meeting called by the Aldona panchayat to discuss on the market complex just three months away from the assembly polls just a coincidence?
“It’s nothing like that. There is no connection between the meeting on the market building and the forthcoming election. The market area comes under my ward and therefore I decided to take the initiative,” the sarpanch said.
“It’s better late than never,” said Nelson Figueiredo, member of the Fabrica, initially hesitating to answer the query.
However, he said a series of meetings were held on the same issue in the past.
“The matter was raised in the gram sabha but somehow or the other, things have not come to a level where concrete action could be taken,” he said.
“We have to thank God. So far, he has protected us from a calamity,” he added.
Incidentally, the local MLA and the panchayat had planned to construct a new market complex at Godar, Aldona but had to back out after a school management in the area and locals raised objections to the project.
