MARGAO
Margao civic chief Damu Shirodkar saw for himself the nuisance and the encroachment of fast food handcarts at the Margao old bus stand, literally turning the iconic bus stand into an eyesore.
Apart from the nuisance, the MMC chairperson, however, has a task at hand – how to get the gadda owners to tow away the kiosks to their place of residence after business hours as per the conditions laid down by the Margao municipality in the trade license?
For, almost all the fast food gadda owners operating at the Old bus stand leave behind their kiosks at the bus stand, occupying the central space, which otherwise could have been used for parking and to streamline traffic during school peak hours.
The Margao civic chief was at the bus stand to inspect a hoarding which was found tilting, posing danger to the vehicles and humans using the bus stand. He, however, expressed his shock over the manner in which the fast food business activity was being carried out by the gadda owners, questioning them for setting up the kiosks right in front when they were supposed to park their carts behind the bus stand.
“You have almost reached the middle of the bus stand. Tomorrow, you all will come set up the kiosks in the middle, obstructing even the movement of the buses. This has to stop,” he said while issuing instructions to the civic officials to draw a line so that they conduct their business activity behind the line.
He added: “Your activity should not create any disturbance to the members of the public. See how wastewater is being discharged by these kiosks. All these should stop.”
The chairperson’s attention was also drawn to the fact that some of the fast food kiosks start their business in the afternoon when the license conditions mandate them to open business at around 6 pm. After the chairperson sought to know the timings of the fast food gaddas and with no answer forthcoming, he instructed the civic staff to brief him on the business and working conditions of the gaddas.
Interestingly, when the MMC civic chief expressed his disgust over the conditions at the old bus stand, a civic official remarked, “A former chairperson had made a similar comment on the situation at the old bus stand, but nothing happened, because the owners enjoy political patronage from the powers that be. The MMC chairperson may find it difficult to make the gadda owners comply with the licence conditions since they are all politically connected.”
