MARGAO
Fish vendors and cutters from the SGPDA retail fish market on Friday called on Chairman, MLA Wilfred D’Sa, to complain about the lack of business in view of the retail sale in the wholesale market.
After giving the vendors and cutters a patient hearing, the Chairman said the PDA will take stock of the situation at the next meeting and protect the interests of the retailers.
Led by President of the Fish Vendors Association Felix Gonsalves, the vendors and the fish cutters bitterly complained about the growing number of vendors and cutters in the SGPDA wholesale fish market.
The vendors pointed out that they have been experiencing a lack of business in recent times, adding that the retail fish activity in the wholesale market has only further aggravated the situation.
Felix claimed that over 70-80 fish vendors are doing retail business inside the wholesale market, while hundreds of vendors are illegally selling fish along the wholesale fish market road.
He warned that if this situation persists, they will be rendered without any business and would be forced to do their business from outside the fish market.
He further pointed out that while the SGPDA has registered around six fish cutters in the wholesale fish market, around 57 of them are engaged in the business, thus affecting the business of the cutters in the retail fish market.
“As it is, the fish cutters are without much business because of no sale of fish sale in the retail market. Their situation has further compounded with around 57 fish cutters doing business in the wholesale market,” Felix said.
He appealed to the politicians not to push vendors from their constituencies in the wholesale fish market, as the growing number has affected their livelihood.
Taking cognizance of the grievances of the retail fish vendors, the Chairman later told the media that the PDA will try to regulate the vendors as well as the timings of business in the wholesale market. “The PDA has recently issued instructions to the contractor to crack a whip against unauthorized vendors in the wholesale market. Since the action was not forthcoming, we had got the police to stop the activity,” he said.
D’Sa further said that at the next meeting the PDA will discuss on allowing retail fish vendors in the wholesale market only up to 9 am. He further said that the PDA will also regulate the timings of the wholesale market.
As far as the fish cutters in the wholesale market are concerned, D’Sa said that their number has not increased, adding that the PDA has only provided a platform to them to ensure that the activity is carried out hygienically.
