Daijiworld Media Network - Vasco
Vasco, Nov 12: All vendors affected by the devastating fire at Vasco's Sunday Market will be accommodated in a newly planned market structure within the existing market premises, Vasco MLA Krishna Salkar said on Wednesday.
Salkar assured that no affected trader would be left out and that all vendors would be able to resume their businesses by mid-December.
He said the revised plan was finalised after consultations with traders and vendors, who were taken into confidence before the proposal was prepared. The plan was subsequently presented to Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant, who approved the arrangement.
Salkar said the decision to develop an alternative market structure was taken after concerns emerged over the structural safety of the fire-affected building, particularly its first floor.
"When we realised that we might not get structural safety clearance for the first floor of the market building affected by the fire, we discussed the matter with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and coordinated with GSIDC to work out an alternative arrangement. We prepared an effective plan to accommodate all vendors on the available land below and presented it to the vendors. After they approved the proposal, we submitted it to the Chief Minister, who also gave his approval," he said.
The government will now initiate the tendering process, with a short tender expected to be floated within the next two days. Construction work will begin immediately after the quotation is approved, Salkar said.
He added that the authorities would expedite the process to ensure that traders could return to business at the earliest.
Explaining why the option of using the fire-affected first floor had been abandoned, the MLA said the intensity of the blaze had raised serious concerns about the building's structural integrity.
"The fire was so massive that there were chances that the concrete slab and the steel reinforcement inside could have weakened. We did not want to take any chances, as that could put vendors and visitors at risk and lead to another tragic situation in the future," he said.
The new arrangement is expected to provide a safer business space for traders while ensuring that all those affected by the fire are rehabilitated within the Sunday Market premises.