CCP starts razing old municipal complex

Panaji: The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) has started the demolition of the old municipal market building, which houses the fish market. The demolition will continue till Nov 8. Revenue minister and Panaji MLA Atanasio Monserrate inspected the ongoing demolition and also visited the makeshift fish market created for the benefit of locals.
CCP commissioner Clen Madeira had issued an eviction notice, directing fish vendors to vacate the old municipal market before the demolition process started.
Workers were seen removing the metal sheets and steel structure that housed the fish vendors, while heavy earth machinery was being used to break down the columns and beams of the old building. Once the old municipal market building is demolished, CCP will start construction of the third phase of the new market complex.
The CCP has fabricated a shed a few metres from the old fish market, but the temporary shed for fish vendors lacks raised platforms and a proper drainage system, leading to the accumulation of water. “This is a teething period, and it is a question of one or two days. The commissioner will take care of this. We will see that the fish cutting waste is cleared. It benefits all of us to have a new market,” said Monserrate.
Some of the fish vendors were seen interacting with Monserrate to convey to him the challenges that they are facing at the makeshift market. The market used to house over 100 vendors selling fish alone. The market also used to house chicken, beef and mutton stalls.
There are growing concerns regarding the pace of demolition and the timeframe for the construction of the third phase of the municipal market. CCP officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the construction of a new building could take a couple of years. The decision to demolish the old municipal market was taken based on a structural stability report prepared by the Govt Polytechnic, Panaji, which said that the building is not only unsafe but has also outlived its economic life.