the goan I network
VASCO
Fisherwomen from the Vasco Fish Market, who have been protesting since the last four days by selling fish by the roadside, on Monday threatened to sell fish inside Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) administration building if the council failed to act against migrants selling fish at various locations in Vasco.
Addressing the media on Monday, Vasco Fish Market Association President Caridade Pereira said the fisherwomen were also willing to pay overtime charges to municipal inspectors to work after dark and penalise those selling fish by the roadsides, if MMC faced a financial crunch.
“Fisherwomen are tired of approaching the MMC seeking action against outsiders selling fish all over the roadsides, which has led to less customers visiting the Vasco fish market.”
“We have been protesting for a while now, but MMC is not bothered and we even refused to pay daily sopo. We will continue our protests till our demands are met. We want the MMC to take immediate action on people selling fish outside the fish market and by the roadsides all over Vasco,” said Pereira.
“If MMC continues to remain silent, we may have to resort to a mass agitation in a week. We will then start selling fish on the stairs of MMC administration building.”
“We have done it in the past some years ago and we may have to do it again if MMC does not care about us. We are not to be blamed later and we are only warning the MMC to take action against people selling fish outside the market,” said Pereira.
Fr Michael Fernandes, advocate of the Vasco Fisherwomen Association, told reporters that there was already an existing rule prohibiting the sale of fish outside the fish market.
“This rule was confirmed by the order of MMC Chief Officer and DMA. When there is an existing rule, the MMC is duty-bound and obliged to implement this rule. We now find that for nearly one year the MMC has been lax to those selling fish outside the fish market. We have only demanded that MMC take action as per rules made by them,” said Fr Fernandes.
“We want to know the reason why MMC is not implementing the rule. Is it because they don’t have adequate staff or they don’t have funds to pay inspectors to work over time? The fisherwomen are willing to pay overtime wages to MMC inspectors to work after dusk, but action has to be taken against people selling fish outside the market,” said Fr Fernandes.
“Authorities must look into this and not blame the poor fisherwomen who are earning their daily livelihood by legally selling fish in the market,” Fr Fernandes added. Asked MMC to increase work timings of
inspectors: MLA
VASCO: Appealing to fisherwomen of Vasco fish market to end their protest and start selling fish inside the Fish Market, Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida assured to settle their grievances and said he has asked MMC to increase the timings of inspectors. “I totally agree with the stand taken by the fisherwomen. No one must be allowed to sell fish outside the fish market because we already have a dedicated fish market available,” Almeida told The Goan.
“I have already spoken to MMC Chief Officer Gaurish Shankhwalkar to change the timings of some staff and make them work late in the evenings. Fish should be sold at only one location and not all over the city.”
“The CO will issue a note to increase the timings of the staff. Most of the staff who were on BLO duty have become free and the MMC will now have adequate staff to monitor and act on people selling fish outside the market,” said Almeida.
