Government stalls move to clear 200 abandoned vehicles in Panaji

PANAJI: After the finance ministry refused to approve the auction of abandoned vehicles in the city, attempts to rid nearly 200 two-wheelers and cars which occupy parking spaces in the city have stalled. The state government refused to give the go ahead as the bids were far below the lowest selling price for the auction.

Since authorities auctioned the vehicles on an, ‘as is, where is’ basis, the vehicles have remained on the streets even seven months after the process started. Government sources said that a meeting has been called on December 15 to decide on the next steps so that 200 parking slots can be freed up.

“We have to deal with the abandoned vehicles quickly,” a senior government official said. “By December 15 we have to decide on a way to remove these vehicles.”

A source said that one of the proposals before Corporation of City of Panaji (CCP) and the Panaji traffic cell is to shift all the abandoned vehicles to a vacant space at Bainguinim till they can be auctioned. A large number of these vehicles have been blocking parking spaces in St Inez, in and around the head post office, A B Road, Pissurlekar Road, D B Road, 18th June Road among other locations in the city.

In April, CCP had invited bids on behalf of the North Goa collector to auction the abandoned vehicles. Since some of the quotes were more than 30% lower than the “upset price”, CCP wrote to the director of municipal administration requesting for permission to accept bids below the upset price.

The vehicles were identified through a survey conducted in the capital by Panaji traffic police who found 101 two-wheelers, 93 four-wheelers and 5 auto rickshaws abandoned across the city.

Before proceeding to auction any of the abandoned vehicles, authorities check whether the vehicles have been attached by any court or a bank, or if any of the vehicles are evidence in any crime. A list of vehicles free from any obstructions, along with a detailed report on each vehicle is prepared and sent to the collector with recommendations by the police. Only after the collector issues an order declaring them unauthorised abandoned vehicles, can CCP go ahead and auction such vehicles.