MARGAO
Tension rent the air at the Margao Municipal Council after Gandhi market vegetable and readymade garment vendors led by former deputy Chief Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar led a massive morcha to the Margao Municipal Council on Tuesday in protest against the civic body’s failure to crack a whip against mushrooming road side vendors and encroachments.
The Gandhi market vegetable and readymade garments shop remained shut on Tuesday morning as hundreds of vendors joined the morcha to the MMC building. They were protesting against the roadside vendors and encroachments and a curb on permission for exhibitions-cum-sales in the city.
The morcha follows the expiry of the 24-houir deadline served by the Vendors Association on the Margao Municipal Council to clear the vendors from the roadsides.
Ajgaonkar and the vendors were stopped by a posse of Margao police at the building entrance, but they forced their way into the building, only to be stopped by the police by closing the gate. Ajgaonkar and couple of vendors made into way into the building, but returned back after they could not find Chief Officer Madhu Narvekar in the chamber.
The vendors later called on the Municipal engineer Manoj Arsekar wherein they placed their twin demands of removal of all vendors from the roadside and impose curbs on the permissions for the exhibition-cum-sales by the Margao Municipal Council and the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA).
After much uproar and discussions, the Municipal Account and Taxation officer issued a letter to the Vendors Association informing that necessary instructions have been issued to the concerned officers after discussions with the Administrator and Chief Officer to initiate action against the violators/illegal encroachments on footpath with immediate effect.
It was only after receiving the written communiqué from the MMC officials, Ajgaonkar and the vendors left the Municipal building, but with a warning to return back if the proposed action against the roadside vendors is not initiated immediately.
Ajgaonkar later told the media that the vendors Association is demanding removal of vendors from the roadside after 8 am. “The roadside vendors are mushrooming day by day with the sopo collector collecting hefty fees from the vendors. This should stop immediately. Because of the illegal vendors, the business of the Gandhi market vendors is adversely affected”, he said.
He demanded the immediate removal of the vendors doing business opposite the Margao police station. “If Margao MLA and PWD Minister Digambar Kamat feels that the vendors doing business opposite the police station hail from Canacona, he should notify a vending zone for them”, he said.
On opposition for exhibitions-cum-sales organised in the city, Ajgaonkar said the MMC and SGPDA should permit only those exhibitions showcasing new products and deny permission for exhibitions if similar products are available in the city markets.
He demanded that the MMC should curtain the period of feast fairs in the city to three days and protect the interests of the local vendors.
