Margao fish market nears launch, but sopo fee tender still in limbo

SGPDA eyes reopening by next week, but contract delay sparks debate over revenue handling

THE GOAN NETWORK | JULY 17, 2025, 01:15 AM IST
Margao fish market nears launch, but sopo fee tender still in limbo

The redeveloped Margao wholesale fish market will be finally inaugurated next week, ahead of the new fishing season.

Photo Credits: The Goan


MARGAO
The long-awaited inauguration of the South Goa Planning and Development Authority’s redeveloped Margao wholesale fish market is finally scheduled next week, tentatively during the weekend.

It is, however, not clear when the PDA will float the tender for the sopo fee collection from the wholesale fish market, which plays host to dozens of vehicles transporting fish from across the State borders and from the jetties and fish landing sites along the coast.

SGPDA chairman, Krishna Daji Salkar told 'The Goan' on Wednesday that the redeveloped wholesale fish market will be inaugurated next week, well ahead of the new fishing season beginning on August 1.

“We have decided to inaugurate the wholesale fish market next week after discussions with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who has given the go-ahead signal for the inauguration,” he said. He, however, said all other issues facing the wholesale fish market will be resolved by the PDA in due course of time.

Salkar made this comment when questioned whether the PDA will float the new sopo fee collection tender before the month-end to appoint a full-fledged sopo contractor in view of allegations of leakage of revenue from the market.

Meanwhile, the SGPDA chairman has said that former sopo contractor Milagres Fernandes should not advise the PDA how to go about the collection of sopo fees at the wholesale fish market.

He further said that Milagres and all others who are interested in taking the sopo fee collection contract should participate in the tender. “Why only Milagres? There are others who are ready to offer a higher amount to the PDA. I would advise all these people to participate in the bid when the PDA floats the tender,” he said.

Salkar added: “Milagres need not tell the PDA about sopo fee revenue. He was the PDA wholesale market sopo fee contractor in the past. When I had taken over office, I had compiled a report about the PDA and the sopo fee collection.”

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Former contractor alleges sopo scam 

MARGAO: The revenue collected by the SGPDA from the Margao wholesale fish market through sopo fees has come under scrutiny from former contractor Milagres Fernandes.

While the PDA currently collects between Rs 11 to Rs 12 lakh monthly in sopo fees, Fernandes has offered to pay Rs 20 lakh per month if awarded the contract. He has also proposed a security deposit of Rs 1 crore, claiming that the PDA is inflating the tender’s upset price to deter prospective bidders.

Fernandes alleged a possible scam, questioning how the PDA collects only Rs 10-12 lakh per month when two years ago it had anticipated monthly revenue of Rs 32 lakh.

“When the SGPDA had floated the sopo fee collection tender two years ago, the planning body had anticipated a monthly collection of Rs 32 lakh for the PDA. The PDA should answer how come the PDA’s collection is pegged around Rs 10-12 lakh a month on average when the planning body was expecting private contractors to pay around Rs 32 lakh a month as sopo collection fees. This mismatch suggests that all is not well in the sopo collection,” he said.

Milagres pointed out that when he was the sopo contractor for the wholesale fish market, the PDA had mandated him to make a monthly payment of Rs 12.5 lakh to the planning body.

Claiming huge leakage of sopo collection revenue from the SGPDA wholesale fish market, Milagres has thrown down a gauntlet to the PDA to hand over the sopo fee collection to him, promising to pay Rs 20 lakh every month.

“If the PDA has any doubts over the payments, I am ready to keep a deposit of Rs one crore with the PDA,” he said, adding that he plans to approach the High Court for redressal.

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