PANAJI
The Ashtami fair has earned the capital's civic body much-needed revenue, although sections of the citizenry, especially netizens have been critical of it, citing environmental damage and it being an eyesore along the Mandovi riverfront promenade.
Officials of the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) said the gross revenue from the fair has crossed the Rs 90-lakh mark from the 400-odd stalls erected on the stretch between the Panaji-Betim ferry wharf and the Campal park.
The fees charged by the CCP are calculated on the basis of a daily charge of Rs 250 per square metre for each stall allottee. Additionally, they have been charged a lump sum fee of Rs 2,400 to offset the cost of waste management and general sanitation in the fair area.
The traditional Ashtami fair began on August 26 and will go on until Ganesh Chaturthi eve on September 8 but a top CCP official said that the vendors are usually allowed a couple of days more at no additional cost to continue sales and wind up. The net revenue earned from the fair this year is expected to touch the Rs 95-lakh figure at the end of it all, the official said.
