Panaji: The tourism department will begin replacing 76 stalls at Dona Paula jetty from Monday as part of an ongoing redevelopment drive aimed at improving visitor facilities at the highly frequented waterfront spot.The jetty draws steady tourist footfall throughout the year for its sea views, boat rides, and souvenir shopping, making the entrance area a focal point for first impressions. Revenue minister and Panaji MLA Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate said existing vendors will not be evicted and will instead receive new prefabricated stalls with a uniform design.Most stalls at the jetty entrance are temporary and have been criticised for creating a cluttered, chaotic view for tourists. The new permanent stalls are expected to standardise signage and layout.“From the start, we had said that these people (vendors) should be shifted and given permanent stalls. See the way they operate. All of them are Goans. They will stay here, but in a systematic way. This will begin on Monday,” Monserrate said.The minister met shop vendors at the Dona Paula jetty to hear their grievances ahead of the scheduled replacement and to clarify that the project is intended to upgrade infrastructure without disrupting livelihoods.A vendor said they will remove their stalls only after the tourism department builds and erects the new units. “I have been here since 1986. All of us are from this village,” said Jose Almeida, 65, a Dona Paula resident.
