MARGAO
Will the June 19 meeting of the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) take a call on the long-delayed question of taking a call on floating the tender for the sopo collection fees at the wholesale fish market?
Wholesale fish market traders are anxiously waiting for the SGPDA meet not just to float the e-tender on sopo collection at the earliest, but to put an end to exorbitant rates levied on the fish traders by the PDA-appointed sopo collection agents in the wholesale fish market.
President of the Margao Wholesale Fish Market Traders Association, M Ibrahim told the media that things have been going out of control with the sopo collection agents appointed by the SGPDA charging the fish traders exorbitant fees.
Producing receipts of the fees charged by the collection agents, Ibrahim pointed out that the fees are not charged as per the circular issued by the SGPDA while fixing the sopo rates. “The wholesale fish market traders have been cooperating with the PDA on the question of payment of sopo fees. But, the agents appointed by the PDA are collecting the fees not prescribed in the circular,” he said.
In fact, Ibrahim pointed out that he sent the receipts issued by the sopo collection agents to the SGPDA members seeking justice for the fish traders.
The president has warned that the traders will be forced to knock the doors of the High Court if the PDA does not mete out justice to the wholesale fish traders. “We hope that the SGPDA members will take cognizance of our grievances and take appropriate measures to stop the agents from charging exorbitant fees. We will be forced to knock the doors of the High Court for action,” he threatened.
The SGPDA also has a task to float the e-tender for sopo collection fees at the wholesale fish market afresh. For, the e-tender, which was floated around August-September last year could not be taken to its logical conclusion because of the clause that the sopo collection contractor ought to have 10-year experience in fishing business/ activities.
Thought the controversial clause was finally scrapped from the tender documents by the government, a fresh tender is yet to see the light of the day, which SGPDA Chairman Krishna Daji Salkar has attributed to the intervening election code of conduct.
