THE GOAN NETWORK
VASCO
While the Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) staff were recently occupied with election duty, the vendors in the Vasco vegetable market seem to have made merry and engaged in illegal encroachment of the road.
While many residents have expressed concerns over the blind eye turned by the authorities towards the encroachments, some have even requested the MMC to resume the anti-encroachment drive.
Amidst the encroachment and placement of two to three lines of trays on the road on either side of the road, it becomes extremely difficult for people to move around the market and almost impossible to do so without bumping into one another.
Social activist Preetam Queloscar speaking to reporters said that it was high time that the MMC had begun taking action on vendors and instil fear in their minds. "There has to be fear and discipline and we just can't ignore such encroachment. The vendors clear the road when MMC staff arrives and after evening hours, they are back with their trays on the road. On Sundays, the encroachments seem to peak and while the MMC market committee had initiated drives earlier, the drives have stopped. The vendors don't care for anyone now and the people have to face a lot of inconvenience because of this illegal encroachment. The MMC must take the most stringent action against these vendors and set an example as a deterrent," said Queloscar.
However MMC councillor Vinod Kinlekar has said that the issue would be taken up with the market committee and a proposal would be moved to the council to initiate stringent action against vendors engaging in encroachment.
"We have seen that the MMC market committee is doing its best but we cannot do anything after evening hours when our staff has gone home or on public holidays. We are not against anyone or their business, but there has to be discipline and such encroachment should not be allowed and will not be tolerated by us. The MMC has already received a lot of complaints and this time we will take the issue up with the council and Chief Officer so that stringent steps are taken including cancellation of licence and confiscation of goods. The municipal staff had been occupied with election duty, but now since the elections are over, we will start the anti-encroachment drive again," said Kinlekar.
