PANAJI: Panaji mayor Uday Madkaikar on Tuesday said CCP will refund the Rs 500 illegally charged to vendors to open their own legal establishments and those who asked for passes during the lockdown from the corporation Madkaikar told presspersons that five vendors had applied to open their stores on Monday and added that he wasn’t aware that they were charged Rs 500 each until it was highlighted on social media in the evening.“We have taken a decision to return all the money. I just put a note to the commissioner. Once he signs it, it will go to the accounts section and we will ensure that it is reimbursed to them in a day’s time. I’m sorry they shouldn’t have been charged,” he said.“They will have to bring the original receipt and we will see that the money goes into their accounts by Tuesday or Wednesday. Directions have been given to the accounts department,” he said.Besides the five vendors who were charged Rs 500 when they applied for restarting their stores, the corporation will also reimburse the money charged to around 20 citizens who applied for passes during the lockdown, he said.The corporation came severe criticism from Aam Aadmi Party leader Valmiki Naik who took up the issue on social media, as well as other citizens.“Not only did CCP mayor Uday Madkaikar make our Pannjekar shopkeepers stand in the hot sun for an unnecessary permission, he had the audacity to charge them a fee for opening their own legal establishments,” Naik stated.He attached an order from the director of urban development clarifying that CCP’s permission is not required to open up establishments after lockdown.“Please issue an immediate refund of this illegal fee and home deliver the refund cheque to those who paid, otherwise we will have to take further legal action,” Naik had stated.