After 14 years, Ponda council invites tender to lease out market complex

Ponda: The Ponda Municipal Council (PMC) has invited tenders to run the entire market complex at the Upper Bazaar in the town. This excludes shops that are already rented.
The advertisement published by the council has asked prospective bidders to apply by April 30.
Having failed to attract bidders to run individual shops at the market complex, the council decided to lease out the entire complex for a long term. A council meeting held on Oct 28, 2024, had agreed to the decision.
PMC chairperson Anand Naik said the decision comes after their failure to get the bidders in six auctions held to rent out vacant shops.
Inaugurated on Dec 19, 2011, the project has failed to attract people to bid for individual shops. So far, only 29 of the 154 shops have been occupied, mostly by rehabilitated shopkeepers.
With the building lying unused as a dead investment for over a decade, the council is trying hard to lease it out fully by excluding the rented shops. With this, the council aims to generate revenue to meet its daily expenses.
Naik said that PMC had put up shops and offices on auction, but no takers came forward at its latest auction in Sep 2024.
The Ponda council’s decision comes after the Curchorem Municipal Council recently leased its entire building. Going with this model, the PMC has agreed to lease the entire market complex for commercial purposes.