MAPUSA
A visibly indignant merchant community of Mapusa on Monday hit out at the city-fathers (and mothers) for focusing on generating revenue for the council instead of providing service to the people and ignoring the grievances of the common man.
The Mapusa Merchants’ Association (MMA) were opposing the Mapusa Municipal Council’s (MMC) decision to erect barricades and block the entry of vehicles inside the municipal market which has had an impact on their business. They demanded immediate rollback of the decision in the interest of the merchant community and further warned if the MMC fails to remove the barricades then they will shutdown the Mapusa market on Tuesday.
“Day in and day out, this council is only interested in increasing the revenue of the civic body. What service are you giving us? The taxes have been hiked but there are no additional facilities offered to the people coming to the market,” said Pandurang Sawant, Joint Secretary of Mapusa Merchants Association (MMA) while interacting with Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) Chairperson Priya Mishal and Vice-Chairperson Viraj Phadke on the issue of blocking the entry of vehicles into the market. “We have no problem if you want to make the whole of Mapusa a pay parking zone (and generate revenue). But please remove the barricades in the market and allow people to come in,” another merchant lashed out.
The Secretary of MMA Siddhesh Raut requested the council to at least remove the restrictions in the market for the next eight days until the Diwali festival so that the merchants can do some business.
“We have no issues with pay parking as it will bring some order over the chaotic parking issue in Mapusa. But open the gates and allow the vehicles to enter the market until the Diwali festival,” Raut urged the chairperson.
Stunned by the criticism, MMC Chairperson, Priya Mishal shot back that the council also received a lot of complaints of two-wheelers zooming inside the market which caused problems to people moving in the market. “We understand and are sympathetic to the grievances of the merchant community but at the same time we have to also take into consideration the larger good of people who visit the market. The restrictions were introduced because the movement of vehicles caused a problem to people,” Mishal said.
Finally, taking into consideration the appeal of the MMA, the chairperson assured to talk to the Chief Officer and to temporarily remove the barricades and allow the movement of vehicles until the Diwali festival. The merchants also issued a warning that if the barricades were not removed then they would shut down the market on Tuesday.
