MLA wants wholesalers, councillor favours traditional vendors
Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida, MMC Chief Officer Sandhya Kamat and others while inspecting the newly renovated old fish market complex.
VASCO
Arch rivals Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida and outgoing councillor Daji Salkar on Wednesday sparred over the renovated old fish market complex, with both differing on beneficiaries to be allotted space in the complex.
While Almeida wants the place utilised to accommodate fish wholesalers, Salkar has insisted that the old market was renovated at his behest to accommodate traditional roadside vendors selling local vegetables, fruits and poultry products.
Almeida along with the Mormugao Municipal Council Chief Officer Sandhya Kamat and some outgoing councillors inspected the recently renovated old fish market and suggested that the fish wholesalers could be moved into the complex.
"I have received many requests from fish wholesalers who needed a market and I inspected the old fish market complex which was renovated by government funds through the MMC.”
“We can use it for the fish wholesalers and the chief officer will take a final call so that people can get benefit from fish at wholesale rates," said Almeida.
Later, a livid outgoing councillor Krishna Daji Salkar hit out at Almeida and said it was nothing new for Almeida to take credit for the work done by others.
"This is my project which has been recently renovated and we are waiting to commission it. Almeida has always been taking credit for projects initiated by others. In the recent past, he claimed credit for the beautified Vaddem Lake and upgraded Chicalim Hospital, which were taken up by Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho in Dabolim constituency,” said Salkar.
“Almeida must first understand that a project for fish vendors requires drainage system and other arrangements like storage of ice and access to vehicles,” said Salkar.
He claimed to have taken up the project for traditional rural vendors, especially elderly women who sell coconut oil, traditional fruits, vegetables and poultry products at different locations by the roadsides in Vasco in the hot sun.
“We wanted all these women to be put up in one location, to avoid traffic congestion and to ensure they get good business. Almeida has woken from his slumber and I have intimated the chief officer that this was my project proposed for traditional vendors and that, the council will decide if there has to be any alterations in the project.”
“Almeida should first take up the fish market which he has not been able to take up in the last nine years of his tenure and then think of what is to be done with projects initiated by others," Salkar added.
