the goan I network
VASCO
The Vasco fish market witnessed some tension on Thursday afternoon after some fisherwomen confronted a wholesaler selling fish barely metres from the Vasco fish market.
Incidentally, the fisherwomen and the wholesaler have clashed in the past, after the fisherwomen had agitated against him last year and had demanded that his operations be shut down. The MMC chief officer Agnelo Fernandes had conducted a detailed discussion and after personal hearings, had directed the wholesaler to close operations in March 2018. The wholesaler, however, later challenged the decision before the Director of Municipal Administration.
On Thursday, the wholesaler re-opened his stall and began selling fish. This caught the attention of the fisherwomen and a group marched to the outlet and demanded that the stall be shut down immediately. The angry fisherwomen then marched to the Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) to seek a permanent solution in the matter. “We are tired of complains. He was instructed by MMC not to sell fish outside the market. The MMC chief officer has now directed him to close his outlet. We have an order banning sale of fish outside the Vasco fish market. We should not be forced to take law in our hands,” said the Vasco Fish Market Association president Caridade Pereira.
Another fisherwoman by the name of Magdalena D’Souza said wholesalers selling fish in bulk at dirt cheap rates had affected their sale in the Vasco Fish Market. D’Souza said the wholesaler should not be allowed near, inside or outside the fish market. “Let him sell fish anywhere else but not near the fish market. We earn our livelihood selling fish daily and these wholesalers take away our clients who then form a group and share the fish among themselves,” said D’Souza.
Speaking to reporters, the fish wholesaler Anand Bhandari, said he had opened the shop because he had got an order from the DMA allowing him to sell fish in the fish market, but he was yet to be allotted space inside the fish market. “It has been one year since I had applied to the MMC to allot me space in the fish market. I had even gone to the fish market with MMC inspectors, but the vendors drove us away. Since the last one year, I am out of business.”
“Neither are they giving me space in the market nor are they allowing me to operate outside the market. Earlier, they had filed a case against me and the MMC chief officer had passed an order preventing me from selling fish outside the market. I then challenged the CO’s order in the DMA and later it was decided that I should be allotted space in the Vasco fish market. Last year I was forced to close and I lost Rs 90,000 in a day and today, I have lost Rs 40,000. I have huge orders for hotel supply and also to ship suppliers in MPT. What should I do if I am not allowed to carry out business anywhere,” asked Bhandari. No application from wholesaler
for space in market: MMC
VASCO: MMC chairperson Nandadeep Raut said on Thursday that the council had not received any application for allotment of space in the Vasco fish market by any wholesaler. “The stall was existing outside the fish market earlier as well. However after fisherwomen approached MMC, he was stopped from selling fish outside the fish market and he then approached the DMA, who in turn, gave directions to MMC to see if he could be allotted space in the Vasco Fish market. However, he has not submitted any application to the MMC as yet and hence, we have told him to close his stall. Even if he makes an application now, we will see if there is space and only then will he be allotted space. Else, we may not be able to give him space in the Vasco fish market,” said Raut.
FISHERWOMEN SPEAK
“We are tired of complains. He was instructed by MMC not to sell fish outside the market. The MMC chief officer has now directed him to close his outlet. We have an order banning sale of fish outside the Vasco fish market. We should not be forced to take law in our hands”
“Let him sell fish anywhere else but not near the fish market. We earn our livelihood selling fish daily and these wholesalers take away our clients who then form a group and share the fish among themselves”
WHOLESALER RESPONDS
“Neither are they giving me space in the market nor are they allowing me to operate outside the market. Earlier, they had filed a case against me and the MMC chief officer had passed an order preventing me from selling fish outside the market. I then challenged the CO’s order in the DMA and later it was decided that I should be allotted space in the Vasco fish market. Last year I was forced to close and I lost Rs 90,000 in a day and today, I have lost Rs 40,000. I have huge orders for hotel supply and also to ship suppliers in MPT. What should I do if I am not allowed to carry out business anywhere”
