Goa based Bardez Bazaar consumer cooperative society is planning to construct the first cooperative mall at Mapusa in the state soon.
The mall would be a seven storey building sprawling across 2,800 square meters in Mapusa. The estimated cost of project is Rs 36 crore and the construction work is expected to start in the month of March this year.
Talking to this correspondent on the phone, the society Chairman Gurudas Sawal said “We are planning to construct the first cooperative mall of India in Mapusa Goa. For this, we have submitted the land map to Mapusa Municipal Council and expecting that the license for construction from MMC will be received by the end of this month and construction work will likely start in March 2018. It will take three years to complete the project”, he added.
Elaborating on the details of the project, Sawal said “We have a vision to construct the mall since 2014 but due to some cases pending in the court regarding land we could not actualize our vision. However, the court has finally given us relief announcing the verdict in our favor”.
Recently, the society Chairman Gurudas Sawal, Founder Chairman Ramakant Khalap and other board members had met Water Resource Minister Vinod Palyekar and apprised him of difficulties coming in the way of construction.
The delegation informed that WRD has constructed a nullah adjacent to the property and asked him to get it realigned. The minister assured the management of his all help and support in this regard.
“In 2015 our founder chairman Ramakant Khalap had discussed the matter with officials of National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC). The latter said it is a good move that deserves all support saying it is for the first time that a cooperative society is coming up with the idea of constructing the mall. The estimated cost of the project is about Rs 36 crore of which 10 crore will be funded by us from our own building fund and the rest would be allocated by NCDC”, the society Chairman said.
Sawal informed that we have not submitted the proposal to NCDC yet but once Mapusa Municipal Council gives the license for construction we will do so.
The mall will have two modern cinema theaters and house several known brands on rent which can help Bardeez Bazaar generate revenue. The two floors will completely be owned by Bardez Bazaar.
The Bardeez Bazaar is a consumer cooperative society which is having 8 branches across Goa. With the help of these branches, they are selling consumer goods at reasonable rates. Nearly 3,000 members associated with the society get additional 2 percent discount on purchase of consumer goods.