Sarthak Kanjilal
Port Blair, June 15: The Port Blair Municipal Council (PBMC) authorities have finally allotted the 12 kiosks space at Food Court, Marina Park, one year after the construction of the kiosks, which has been appreciated by many but there are many who are unhappy about the procedure adopted by the PBMC to allot this kiosks.
The kiosks have been allotted to the vendors who were running their shops at the same place since last one year, which was the decision of the majority during the council meeting, said Mrs Sheela Singh, Chairperson, PBMC.
But the PBMC is facing huge controversies over the procedure and system they adopted for the allotment of kiosks at Marina Park.
Many councilors allege that why the PBMC has not adopted the process to go for an open tender. People from disabled background allege why they were not given any preferences and so on.
Clarifying, why the PBMC has adopted this process for allotting the kiosks to old vendors, Mrs Sheela Singh said that this was the decision of the Lt Governor and as per his orders last council laid the foundation of this project and constructed the kiosks.
“It was the decision of the Lt Governor that the vendors selling their food roadsides should be given a proper area and space to run their daily show hygienically,” Chairperson PBMC said.
Also clarifying that why the PBMC haven’t adopted the open tender process, Mrs Sheela said that being an open tender it wouldn’t be possible for us to check whether the shops has being allotted to the local unemployed youths.
However, Mrs Sheela agreed that the PBMC couldn’t manage to allot a kiosk to a disabled person this time, but she promised that within six months the PBMC will try its level best and construct one or two more kiosks at the place and atleast one kiosk during then will be reserved for disabled persons, she added.
