Christanand Pednekar/ Goemkarponn
Curchorem: Curchorem-Cacora Municipal Council has taken a strong action by sealing nine shops in the CADA hall complex over non-payment of rent.
Officials said out of 24 shops, nine had not paid their rents.
As per chief officer of Curchorem-Cacora municipality, Ajay Gawade there were many notices sent to the shopkeepers for non-payment of rent but the shopkeeper ignored them.
“The Curchorem market area is 35 lakh sq meter and proper rent should come to municipality. Rs 14 lakh is due from CADA market complex. We do not want to create panic situation but the shopkeepers must have some responsibility,” he added.
In October 2020, the shopkeepers stall occupants at CADA market complex submiteted a memorandum to the chairperson Balkrishan Hodarkar on the issue.
The shopkeepers said that they explained their difficulties on paying rent due to pandemic.
“Due to COVID 19 pandemic and decline in business, we requested him to consider relaxation in payment. We asked him to consider paying in instalments and he agreed for payments in instalments,” the shopkeepers said.
They said that further the council was dissolved and our matter was stuck and there was no further communication on this issue.
Ex-chairperson Balkrishan Hodarkar said that this CADA hall complex was before under WRD department and now it was taken over by Curchorem municipality from 2017, four years now, this is problem occurred due to lack of communication between Curchorem municipality and CADA hall complex shopkeepers.
Nandakumar Naik shopkeeper of CADA hall complex said “i am not against municipality decision, but it also important that municipality should consider all facts of pandemic situation wherein everybody has suffered, especially shopkeeper and other small businesses. For past one year the business is totally zero”.
Market Association President Rosh Pereira said that according to rules right decision has been taken by the Chief Officer considering the facts but same time he has to consider the situation.
“We are in a pandemic situation where all of us suffered. There is also no mining business in this area. I already spoke to chief officer about matter and I hope he takes a sympathetic view and resolves the issue,” he said.