The number of claims from traders affected by the fire at Vasco’s Modern Market Complex has reached 149, as a scrutiny committee begins verifying losses and the Mormugao Municipal Council proposes comprehensive fire insurance for vendors and shopkeepers.
The claims include 133 applications from hawkers and 16 from shopkeepers, according to information reported by The Times of India. A committee led by deputy collector Pratap Gaonkar is examining the applications to assess losses and identify eligible beneficiaries for government relief.
The panel includes Gaonkar, Mormugao Municipal Council chief officer Siddhivinayak Naik, a police inspector and two representatives of hawkers. A special desk has been established to process the applications and has been instructed to work on weekends to expedite scrutiny.
Gaonkar said some traders lost their documents in the fire. The committee will submit its report to the government, after which the relief fund will be released, he said. The panel is also checking which shops were leased out and whether claimants are the actual owners.
The affected vendors have submitted mandate forms in advance for their bank details, according to Gaonkar. The committee is verifying the applications before finalising the list of eligible beneficiaries. Supporting documents will also be accepted from vendors following requests received by the panel.
Officials have said that affidavits submitted by claimants must be countersigned by the president or secretary of the authorised committee concerned wherever applicable. The requirement is part of the scrutiny process being used to establish the validity of claims and supporting records.
The reported claims vary significantly in value. The highest application received so far is for Rs 65 lakh from a shoe vendor, followed by a claim of Rs 50 lakh from a garment vendor, Naik said. The final relief amounts will depend on the committee’s assessment and the government’s decision after receiving its report.
Alongside the immediate relief process, the MMC has proposed a longer-term insurance mechanism for traders operating in its municipal markets and the Modern Market Complex. Naik said he had moved a note to the municipal administrator to initiate the process.
The proposed comprehensive fire insurance policy would cover vendors, traders and shopkeepers against losses caused by fire or other damage. According to Naik, such coverage could allow traders to settle claims promptly instead of depending entirely on financial assistance from the government after a disaster.
The proposal places insurance alongside documentation and municipal oversight as part of the response to risks in public commercial spaces. Its implementation will depend on the municipal administration initiating the process and finalising the policy for market occupants. The scrutiny committee’s report remains the next formal step in determining relief for those affected by the Vasco fire.
