Calangute Panchayat, Ward Members Collecting ‘Bribes’ From Roadside Takeaway Outlets: GAC

CALANGUTE, GOA: The Goa Against Corruption (GAC) has alleged that some (or most) ward members (panchas) and Panchayat officials from the Calangute Panchayat are collecting weekly or monthly haftas or bribes from the unlicensed roadside food business outlets and stalls (FBOs) to permit them to operate without the requisite licenses and mostly using domestic or residential electric and LPG gas connections.

As per law, even a roadside tea stall cannot use a domestic LPG cylinder, but in most cases in the Calangute belt all the unlicensed eateries and outlets, operating from homes, use residential electric connections/meters as well as domestic LPG cylinders.

The total hafta amount collected every month from such illegal stalls and outlets runs into several lakh, claim sources in the know.

Social activist and former panch member Benedict D’souza from Parra claims the racket is run with the active connivance of the panchas, panchayat officials, the sarpanch and the MLA who is the godfather of all the illegal stalls, outlets and joints in the constituency.

“No business can be run in Calangute, Parra, Candolim and neighbouring areas without paying dakshina to the Panchayat and the MLA,” D’souza explained.

Hundreds of roadside, footpath and small shop/home stalls have sprung up all over Calangute (Baga and Candolim included) and according to a Herald report, “there are eateries & food joints after every 20 steps”, mostly run by non-Goans. These stalls, carts and outlets mostly sell pre-cooked fare like biryani, fried rice, bhaji-roti, frankie rolls, etc., which maybe at times are re-heated at the point of sale.

While some outlets are based out of small shops (or shop-in-shop) along the roadside or on the payment side and pay rent to the owners of the houses/shops, others are outright illegal and have absolutely no permissions, licenses or health/hygiene permits and do not even pay rent. The hafta for such outlets is the maximum, says D’souza.

According to a well-known and highly respected restaurateur from the area, there are many vendors who cook and wash plates and utensils on the roadside with absolutely no hygiene check or sewage and waste management. The unsegregated waste is dumped by the vendor after business hours and many a times into drains or nullahs. Such vendors are patronised by the migrant labourers and very low budget tourists who do not stay in hotels.

Unlike in Mumbai (and Delhi) where the local dada or goonda collects hafta or protection money from these roadside vendors, hawkers and stalls, in Calangute and neighbouring areas, the ward members or panchas are collecting protection money from the illegal vendors, alleged Minakshi Shinde of the Goa Against Corruption.

The owners of the rooms/shops along the main roads, who rent out their premises to such outstation vendors are at times hand-in-glove with the local ward member and a part of the rent is paid on a monthly basis to ensure that the outlets are not raided or locked down by the panchayat.

“At times, the shops share the same (residential) electric meter, while in some cases a separate commercial electric meter is installed and electricity charges are paid separately, but in most cases, the house owner charges a combined rent that includes electricity charges and an approximate percentage of 25 to 30 per cent is paid to the ward member,” Shinde alleged.

In the Baga circle area, many shops have ‘permitted’ food stalls, biryani/shawarma/frankie takeaway counters, right outside their doors, charging them a “rent” of Rs 8000/- to Rs 12,000/-. The food is cooked elsewhere and carted in huge aluminium bartans or dekchis to the stall/counter where it is sold.

According to the GAC, each stall or counter pays a monthly ‘bribe’ to the concerned ward member and the amount is further shared between the panchayat officials.

According to the Herald report, the Calangute Sarpanch Shawn Martins did not seem to raise  any red flags and actually said the equivalent of “All is well”. Obviously, all is well, quipped Shinde, because all are being taken good care of, including the ward member, the Panchayat secretary, the Sarpanch and the MLA, not to forget the police and other authorities.