Team Goemkarponn
VASCO: In a major relief to traders who lost their shops and merchandise in the devastating Vasco Municipal Market fire, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday disbursed the first instalment of financial assistance amounting to ₹1.39 crore to 103 claimants covering all 145 affected shops, within 120 hours of the October 29 blaze.
The initial assistance was disbursed through cheques, with individual relief ranging from ₹50,000 to ₹1 lakh, depending on the claims verified by the scrutiny committee. The government has assured that all 145 affected shops will receive compensation, irrespective of whether an individual trader owned or operated multiple units.
Sawant said the government would release the next instalment of assistance after assessing the actual losses suffered by the traders. He assured that the second instalment would cover at least 50 per cent of the assessed losses, providing further financial support to help traders rebuild their businesses.
The administration received 145 applications covering 145 affected shops. However, scrutiny established that these represented 103 individual claimants, as some traders owned or operated two to three shops. Several traders have submitted claims ranging from ₹50,000 to ₹10 lakh, while a few have reported losses exceeding ₹10 lakh. The Chief Minister advised traders claiming higher losses to obtain duplicate purchase bills, wherever possible, to substantiate their claims.
In a significant decision aimed at restoring livelihoods at the earliest, Sawant also announced that temporary market structures would be erected at the same location within a month, responding to the demand of affected vendors to resume business from their original premises.
He further assured that the second instalment of financial assistance would be released eight days before the inauguration of the temporary market, enabling traders to purchase stocks, arrange merchandise and prepare their stalls before reopening.
The Chief Minister said the government would continue extending support to the affected traders until their businesses were fully re-established.
However, the first floor of the fire-affected market will not be reconstructed owing to concerns over the structural stability of the building. Restoration work will be restricted to the existing structure, allowing traders to return to the same location while addressing safety concerns.
The government had established a help desk on October 29 at 9 am to receive compensationa claims and subsequently constituted a scrutiny committee under the chairpersonship of the Deputy Collector and Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Mormugao. The committee included the Chief Officer of the Mormugao Municipal Council, Vasco Police Inspector and representatives of the Modern Market Hawkers Vendors and Shop Owners Association.
The committee undertook verification of claims on priority, with MMC officials working even on weekends to complete the scrutiny process.
Vasco MLA Krishna Daji Salkar said the government and the entire administration had stood with the affected vendors from the first day and made every effort to ensure speedy assistance.
“The Chief Minister rushed to the spot that very night, and within five days, we have completed the claim process, which is a record time. The administration and our staff worked even on Saturdays and Sundays. The vendors’ demand for rehabilitation at the same location is valid,” Salkar said.
Salkar also brought to the Chief Minister’s attention the issue of neglected dangerous buildings in Vasco, seeking government intervention.
Mormugao MLA Sankalp Amonkar said the government had always stood with the people and worked for their welfare, assuring that it would continue supporting the affected traders.
The disbursement programme was attended by Vasco MLA Krishna Salkar, Mormugao MLA Sankalp Amonkar, South Goa Collector Egna Cleetus, IAS, and senior district and municipal officials.
The ₹1.39 crore disbursement within five days of the devastating fire marks the first phase of the government’s rehabilitation effort. The next challenge will be the restoration of the market and the return of all 145 affected businesses to their original location.
