MARGAO
September 27, 2022: Chairman and officials of the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) finally heaved a sigh of relief after the two MLAs Vijai Sardesai and Digambar Kamat zeroed in on the Sports Authority of Goa (SAG) ground near the Ravindra Bhavan, Margao to set up the makeshift wholesale fish market.
Shifting proposal
The planning body proposed the shifting after the Goa State Infrastructure Development Agency (GSIDC) called for the urgent shifting of the market to expedite ongoing work on phase-I of the Rs 13 crore modern wholesale fish market project at the existing market site at Madel.
In fact, SGPDA Chairman MLA Krishna Daji Salkar had gone to the town announcing the shifting of Goa’s lone wholesale fish market operations to the SAG ground by mid-October 2022. He thanked the Margao and Fatorda MLAs for their role in helping the planning body to identify the SAG land for the makeshift fish market.
Deadlock hits new
market works
Nearly three and a half months down the lane, the stalemate continues on the ground. Neither is the wholesale fish market shifted to the makeshift site nor has the decision in any way helped the GSIDC to expedite work on the construction of the state-of-the-art wholesale fish market.
In fact, work on the remaining 50 per cent of the new wholesale fish market has hit a block over the deadlock in the market shifting.
Cost of makeshift
market a hurdle
Reason for the deadlock? It was roughly estimated that it may cost the SGPDA and the state exchequer a whopping Rs 1.5 crore to develop the makeshift wholesale fish market, and neither the PDA nor the government was keen on spending the huge amount for a temporary facility.
While SGPDA Chairman, Salkar had taken up the matter with the Chief Minister with a plea to request the GSIDC to take up the makeshift market development with its own funds, nothing has changed on the ground since then.
CM intervenes
A senior GSIDC official has now told The Goan that the Chief Minister has requested the agency to carry out a fresh estimate on the funds required to develop the makeshift market. In the alternative, the GSIDC has been told by the Chief Minister’s Office to explore the possibility of taking up the balance work on the wholesale fish market construction without going in for the makeshift market at the SAG ground.
“The GSIDC is presently preparing the estimate to set up the makeshift wholesale fish market on the SAG ground, after which we will get back to the Chief Minister for a final decision,” the official said.
He added: “Since questions are being raised why the government should invest over rupees one crore in the makeshift market, the GSIDC is keeping the second option open, to take up work on the market construction on the balance 50 per cent of the land.”
In this respect, the GSIDC official said adjustment by the stakeholders may be required in order to ensure that the wholesale market operations continue at the existing site and at the same time work begins on the balance land.
Million dollar question
How the GSIDC or the SGPDA manage the situation at existing situation if the government says no to the makeshift market remains a million-dollar question, sources said. For, the market operations presently carried out on 50 per cent the total admeasuring 10,000 square metres has created congestion inside the market and outside.
GSIDC officials in private are hoping for an early call on the market, fearing any delay in taking the decision will further delay the completion of the multi-crore project.
Motorists may face logjam if wholesale market not shifted
MARGAO:
If the government finally takes a call against shifting the wholesale fish market to the makeshift site to save precious taxpayers' money from going to waste and the GSIDC decides to take up work the balance work at the wholesale fish market without market shifting, wholesale fish market road users and motorists may have to brace up for traffic snarls in the coming days.
For, the South district Magistrate has notified diversion of all heavy traffic entering the city via the Nuvem stretch of the western bypass to the wholesale fish market road before joining the main road at the KTC bus stand.
The District Magistrate has notified the diversion of heavy traffic between the KTC bus stand and the Nuvem traffic junction in order to carry out the sewerage line laying works on the stretch between the South Goa district hospital and the district Collectorate building.
It’s no secret that the wholesale fish market road along the bridge over the river Sal and the La Grace hotel has been a traffic bottleneck not only because of the buzzing market activities but the four-lane road is being used for parking by the fish transporting trucks.
Add the heavy traffic plying on the wholesale fish market road as per the district Magistrate’s notification and it is feared the situation along the stretch may turn unmotorable without regulation by the traffic enforcement agencies.
