Panaji civic body seizes 10 kiosks for illegal businessman

PANAJI: Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) has confiscated 10 'gaddos' (mobile kiosks) during the past week, two of which were operating illegally.
"The objective is to ensure that only those kiosks which have been permitted by the town vending committee should operate. The others will be fined," said commissioner, CCP, Ajit Roy.

The other eight authorized kiosks were found selling items including ice-creams and cold drinks, for which they had not acquired licences. CCP is also in the process of installing licence plates for all 92 authorized kiosks around the city. Till date, it has installed licences for around 50 kiosks. The licence plates include all relevant details including cart number, photograph and name of the licencee, licence number, type of trade and the timing.

"This will not only help CCP keep tabs on the carts and their activities, but citizens too. If citizens find that licence plates are missing or that carts are operating beyond their time limit, I urge them to complain to the corporation,' Roy said.

CCP has also written to the Panaji police inspector requesting the night patrol team to confiscate carts doing business beyond the 11pm time limit and bring this to the notice of the CCP.

CCP swung into action after the issue of carts serving food illegally was raised by the Panjim Hotels and Traders Association.

The association is expected to hold a meeting of hoteliers, traders and professionals on Thursday to discuss issues of the business community and to urge CCP to rollback the trade licence fee, garbage fee, signboard tax as well as housetax as well as stop all kiosks from serving food illegally.

Regarding the issue of compulsory fire NOC mandatory for renewal of trade licences, which the association is opposing, Roy said, "The order that has come from the collector is in public interest. We have already seen two fire incidents in the market last month. The corporation has already given commercial establishments provisional extension of the licence till June 30."

The order making fire NOC compulsory for renewal of trade and occupational licences was passed by the North Goa collector and district magistrate and North Goa district disaster management authority days after the deadly Kamala mills fire in Mumbai.