PANAJI: Old and dilapidated building in Panaji municipal market housing chicken, mutton, beef, fish cutting stalls, clams sellers, dry fish sellers, and even some of the fish vendors were occupying the space below (ground floor) and on top a hotel, lodge, jewellery shop and an advocate consultancy besides others is being demolished. All these businessmen and women are likely to get their spots back once the building is ready.
The old and thatched building was in a very precarious condition and demanded immediate action and attention from the municipal authorities. Municipal authorities had even served notices to its tenants to vacate the shops in January 2024, but the shop keepers had written to the municipal authorities to rehabilitate them in a suitable spot so that their businesses do not suffer during the gap between demolition and reconstruction. But there was neither word from the municipal authorities nor any suggestions and time rolled on and the Parliamentary election code came into existence and followed by the result.
But then both authorities and the business community forgot the issue and suddenly one fine morning they were served another notice to vacate the market within just 24-hours and again these businessmen and vendors got some grace period but within that span of time they could not move to the suitable place but they moved the court and then the municipal authorities came and sealed their shops. The issue is now in the court seeking justice. Within a couple weeks the authorities started demolition. Work is going on a war footing and looks like the new building will be ready within a short span of time.
The present building was constructed by the ex-President of Panaji Municipality Council Late Mr Francisco Bashik Branco, when the late Shashikala Kakodkar, daughter of Late Bhau Saheb Bandodkar was the Chief Minister of Goa, and the business community expanded their businesses.
Presently, the Goa is one of the most sought after tourist destinations in the globe, visitors make it a point to have a glance of the Panaji market and they take a very bad impression about the Panaji Goa’s capital city market as memories to their native places. The Late Union Defence Minister, and Chief minister of Goa and Panaji MLA Manohar Parikar in the Narendra Modi government could not withstand miserable condition of the market, so under the able and capable leader and Mayor of CCP Tony Rodrigues new Municipal Market Complex came into existence in two phases of course with the contribution of ex-Mayors Surendra Furtado and Uday Madkaikar and the third phase is yet to come. Let us hope, it will soon see the light of the day.
Now, the population of the capital city is growing with multiple colonies mushrooming in and around even this market is becoming congested and insufficient, so the new Mayor of Corporation of City of Panaji, Mr Rohit Monseratte with his father City MLA, Mr Atanacio alias Babush Monseratte trying to bring sea change in the city with multiple projects under Imagine Panaji Smart City.
They have started with improvement in Miramar, and with all roads black topping after the dragging monsoon, the old Panaji city will look like a young bride with technicolor decoration and illumination during International Film Festival of India, Exposition of Sant Xavier, followed by a number of summer festivals in the city for the attraction of domestic as well as foreign tourists.
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