MARGAO
Fears have been raised in the corridors of the Margao Municipal Council and beyond that any decision by the civic body to allow changes in the business of the handcarts may open the floodgates for a shift from fruit selling to fast food in the commercial capital.
That’s not all. A member of the MMC Market Committee, Councillor Mahesh Amonkar, has complained that the civic body has approved a change in business from fruit selling to the sale of bhel puri without the knowledge of the members of the market panel.
Addressing the media, Amonkar urged the Chief Officer, Melvyn Vaz, not to succumb to police pressure from any quarters and change the nature of business of the handcarts from fruit selling to fast food kiosks. “I want to warn the Municipal administration that any attempt to change the business of the handcarts will flood the city with fast food centres. This has to immediately stop. A handcart has already received a licence to operate a food centre, when the handcart was permitted to only sell fruits,” he said.
The issue raised by Councillor Amonkar assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of the fact that the handcarts are mandated to move around the city, but most of the time they have been found stationary in public places.
In fact, Margao Municipal inspectors privately pointed out that most of the fast food kiosks operating in the city at the Old Margao bus stand and opposite the KTC bus stand are mandated to tow away their handcarts to their place of residence after business hours. In reality, however, the operators leave behind the carts in public spaces with the patronage of the powers that be.
