MARGAO
Fish and meat items, including beef and poultry and even vegetables may just disappear from the menu of Goan families in the next fortnight with markets selling these essential items being shut down in the commercial capital by the police citing the district Collector’s order, beginning from Sunday.
Though fish, meat and vegetables etc are considered as essential food items, the police on Sunday shut down the markets, including the mega SGPDA market and the Gandhi market, the vegetable market hub citing the Collector’s order.
With the Collector’s order shutting down weekly markets, fish markets and the municipal and panchayat markets in the order issued under Section 144 of the CrPC, the men-in-uniform went about implementing the order in both letter and spirit.
The police made their presence felt in some of the markets such as the SGPDA in mid-morning, taking the vendors by surprise in the vegetable and fruit markets, besides the meat stalls lining the market.
While the vendors expressed surprise over the police action, pleading with them to at least allow them to sell their stock till 1 pm, the police granted them time till noon to get the activity closed.
The moot point, however, remains unanswered “ from where would the people get their essential food items, from May 10-24 if the law enforcing agencies goes about implementing the Collector’s order.
A senior police official told The Goan that the Collector’s order makes it abundantly clear that no weekly market, fish market or the markets run by the municipalities and panchayats will remain open from May 9-24.
After vendors were taken aback by the police action, leaving many citizens in the markets stranded, a senior official tried to find out from the Fatorda police the action of closing down the markets. The police are believed to have replied back saying the Collector’s order call s for closure of the weekly markets, fish markets and the municipal and panchayat markets.
The senior police officer said only standalone shops selling essentials will be allowed to sell products, raising questions as to the number of shops selling fish, meat, chicken and vegetables in the commercial capital.
A citizen, however, said there may be just a handful of standalone shops selling poultry products, meat and vegetables. “How will these handful establishments cater to the requirements of thousands of household is indeed a moot question”, he said.
A citizen Gajanan Bhise, who was at the SGPDA market when the men-in-uniform were getting the market closed, said Chief Minister Pramod Sawant was categorical in saying that essential items will be allowed for sale between 7 am to 1 pm. “If the markets are shut, from where will the people buy their requirements”, he wondered, saying such a move will create panic amongst citizens.
