CANACONA
Taking strong cognisance of the day-to-day traders posing serious safety concerns by occupying the street near municipal office at Chaudi, the street traders were removed from the street on Tuesday.
The strict action was initiated by Canacona Municipal Council staff at the instance of CMC Chairperson Laxuman Pagui and Ward Councilor Ramakant Naik Gaunkar. They were both present during the drive to remove the street traders.
The reluctant street traders were forced to move their belongings and conduct their trade from the nearby municipal market complex, largely unoccupied and idle. CMC staff also moved their goods to the market complex.
According to CMC Chairperson Laxuman Pagui, the street traders particularly those occupying the road in front of Vernekar building, had been posing a safety threat with motorists making halts right on the road to purchase their goods and often creating traffic congestions and snarls.
“There was also a danger of some unsuspecting motorists ramming into the street traders. The traders had been asked to file their applications to carry out their trade from the presently vacant market complex and had been warned to stop from trading on the roads to avoid untoward incidents,” said Pagui.
“However, despite these directions, the street traders refused to stop trading on the road and also failed to file a single application seeking plots in the vegetable market complex.”
As the CMC’s appeal about a month ago had no takers from among the traders, the CMC Chairperson and ward councillor asked the traders if they would take responsibility if an accident or mishap occurs in the area, before ordering their immediate shifting to the markket complex.
Interestingly, CMC had constructed a vegetable market complex almost 10 years ago at a cost of over Rs 6 crore and had appealed to traders to sell their goods in the market complex. Though the CMC has not yet allotted the shops and plots at the market complex, only a few vegetable and flower traders were trading on the ground floor of the market complex.
