MAPUSA
Calling for a status quo on business fish selling in Aldona, Chairman of Goa Industrial Development Corporation and Aldona MLA Glenn Ticlo on Thursday maintained that there should be no discrimination and vendors who have been selling fish at the doorstep for the last several years should be allowed to continue with the trade in the village.
He said the pandemic has forced several locals to take up the trade and the panchayat should evaluate such new entrants and accordingly, allow them to do business.
“People of Aldona constituency should not suffer as they want the fish at their doorstep. Locals are happy with the service of fish vendors and therefore, they should be allowed to do business. I don’t want to make it an issue between Goans and non-Goans. The panchayat members and the secretaries should not stop those vendors who have been in the trade for the last so many years,” Ticlo said.
The Aldona MLA was addressing the media after holding a meeting for more than an hour with sarpanchas, deputy sarpanchas and secretaries of all the six panchayats of Aldona constituency ostensibly to discuss the issue raised by the Aldona fish vendors. Vice President of North Goa District BJP, Franky Carvalho was also present.
Sarpanchas of most panchayats in Aldona constituency, except for Aldona panchayat, said there was no issue in their areas over the selling of fish.
Ticlo said the issue of fish vendors was confined to the jurisdiction of the Aldona panchayat and the other panchayats had no such problems.
“I have requested Aldona Sarpanch Subhash Raut to talk to the traditional fish vendors and to take everyone into confidence,” he said.
He said the traditional fish vendors in Aldona market complained that people no longer come to the market to purchase fish and all their fish goes waste.
“There is the fear of contracting Covid-19 and that is why people don’t come to the market. They prefer to buy fish at the doorstep,” he said.
He, however, expressed helplessness on controlling the fish prices.
The Aldona MLA said that several sarpanchas complained that the rate fixed for bush cutting in the panchayat areas by the government was too less and demanded that it should be hiked.
He said he would take up the issue with the panchayat minister and the chief minister.
