The Times of India                   23.11.2010

‘Act against illegal shops’

PANAJI: The opposition panel in the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) has turned up the heat on the civic body to take action against illegal occupants of its shops on the 18th June Road.

Corporator Surendra Furtado and the BJP panel’s Menino da Cruz have demanded answers to how all the shops, including No. 4/4 which started renovation works recently, have been subletting the premises.

No. 4/4 was leased to Rai Pai Vernekar who ran a business under the name of Vernekar Diesels, they said. Vernekar allegedly sublet the premises since the last five years to a showroom selling branded readymade garments. The recent renovation by the shop has caused the opposition corporators to raise their voices again.

“For the last five years I have been spearheading a campaign to revert all the shops in the Praca do Comercio ( CCP building complex),” said Furtado. “These shops have been illegally sublet by the original tenants who pay CCP a monthly rent of around 200-300 only. They (original tenants) have flouted the law and have sublet the shops by taking lakhs of rupees and are now getting hefty rents,” he alleged.

The CCP had passed a resolution almost a year ago that it would send the illegal occupants notices and get the premises back. “There should not be any subletting of the premises in the first place. However, in this case (Vernekar) there has been transfer and illegal renovation,” alleged da Cruz.

Furtado further alleged that CCP officials were dragging their feet and not initiating legal proceedings to get back premises including those in the Panaji municipal market. “These shops would have helped the CCP generate revenue and would have wiped out its budget deficit,” Furtado said.

When contacted, CCP commissioner Elvis Gomes said, “We sealed the shop (No. 4/4) as no permission was taken for the purpose of repairs. However, after the application was submitted and the fees were paid, we allowed them to continue the repair work. While it is a matter of repair of a shop belonging to the municipality, the CCP has also gained some revenue.”

Gomes added, “Besides this fact, an independent process is on for evicting all the illegal occupants. What we have done is the best possible way out rather than leaving these issue in limbo as has been suggested by some.”