Redeveloped Margao wholesale market misses another inauguration deadline

The Margao wholesale fish market functioned as usual on Friday, even as the inauguration of the redeveloped market was postponed once again, with the new platforms (photo below) remaining unused.

MARGAO
It was business as usual at the Margao wholesale fish market – Goa’s lone wholesale fish market, owned and operated by the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA).
A fleet of fish-laden insulated vehicles, besides local fishermen and scores of fish buyers, crowded the wholesale fish market complex as usual from the early hours of Friday morning.
However, the newly built mega platforms under the market redevelopment project wore a deserted look as they remained unused, once again signalling the South Goa Planning and Development Authority’s (SGPDA) failure to meet the announced inauguration deadline.
The reasons for the postponement remain unclear, as SGPDA chairman and MLA Krishna Salkar was unavailable for comment. The inauguration had been keenly awaited after Salkar announced plans for it during a recent SGPDA meeting.
Given that the wholesale fish market is located in Fatorda, sources said PDA member and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai had reportedly circulated a message inviting people to attend the inauguration. The message was, however, quickly deleted, allegedly following a call from the PDA chairman.
This is not the first instance of the SGPDA missing an announced date for inaugurating the redeveloped market. The project has seen multiple last-minute postponements for various reasons.
Notably, BJP workers and supporters had received similar messages nearly a year ago, when reports suggested that the market would be commissioned on Republic Day last year. The inauguration, however, did not materialise.
Subsequently, the PDA chairman had stated that the market would be inaugurated only after agencies were appointed for the maintenance of the toilet block and the overall market premises—a condition raised by PDA members and MLAs, including Public Works Department Minister Digambar Kamat and Vijay Sardesai.
At the most recent SGPDA meeting, Salkar informed members that the authority would proceed with the inauguration after finalising two maintenance agencies, a decision that was later shared with the media during the post-meeting briefing.
Salkar had further announced that the PDA would go ahead with the inauguration on January 23 and that tenders to appoint a contractor for collecting sopo fees would be floated by the end of January.
On the ground, however, the situation at the wholesale fish market remains unchanged, with fish-laden insulated vehicles parked outside the market building and illegal vendors continuing to swarm the area.