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MAPUSA
After more than a month of the lockdown, the Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) has decided to partially open the famed Mapusa municipal market allowing 50% of the shops dealing in non-essential goods to operate from Monday from 8 am to 6 pm.
However, the council has decided not to start the fish, vegetable, fruit, flower and meat (chicken, mutton) market as of now. It was also decided not to allow any vendors/hawkers in the market.
No paan shops will also be allowed to operate within the jurisdiction of the municipality until the lockdown 3.0 ends on May 17.
The council will meet and review its decision every two or three days after evaluating the dynamics of the functioning of the market.
It was decided to strictly observe the MHA norms/guidelines like social distancing and covering of face.
People/consumers visiting the market will have to walk into the market as nobody will be allowed to bring vehicles inside the market.
This move comes soon after the Centre slotted Goa as a green zone in the COVID-19 pandemic and allowed several relaxations to districts under the green zone category.
Soon after the success of ‘Janata Curfew’ on March 22, the State government decided to continue the lockdown for three more days. Prime Minister Narendra Modi then announced a 21-day national lockdown from March 25 which was later extended up to May3.
Mapusa MLA Joshua D’Souza along with MMC Chairperson Ryan Braganza and Mapusa Merchants’ Association President Asish Shirodkar, Mapusa Market Committee Chairman Sushant Harmalkar, councillor Franky Carvalho, police officials and other stakeholders visited the municipal market on Sunday noon to assess the situation.
“Mapusa is an important town and a commercial hub for Bardez and even the North Goa. After taking all the factors into consideration due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have taken a decision to start the market in a phased manner,” said Mapusa MLA Joshua D’Souza.
Seeking cooperation of all market stakeholders and people visiting the market, MMC Chairperson Ryan Braganza said the MMC may throw open more services if things go in an organised manner.
“We are allowing operation of 50% of the shops in the market. The fish, vegetable, fruit and meat market will be closed. All paan shops in Mapusa will not be allowed to operate as long as the lockdown continues,” Braganza said.
Sounding a note of caution, he warned that if things get worse the council will have no option but close the market.
“We will have to cooperate with one another and successfully run the market,” he said.
The State government had directed the Directorate of Municipal Administration and Directorate of Panchayats to devise modalities of how to open markets with all safety norms in place.
With opening of the shops and other commercial activities, the government expects to revive the economic activity in the State.
the goan I network
MARGAO
Both the Margao municipal markets “ the mega New Market and the Gandhi Market, will open from Monday, but with 50 per cent capacity.
In fact, white and yellow lines were being drawn in the two municipal markets on Sunday, indicating that these markets will operate on 50 per cent basis.
Margao Municipal Chairperson Pooja Naik informed that the district Collector, South has given the go-ahead signal to the Municipality to open the New Market and the Gandhi market, but with restrictions. She said the yellow and white lines has been drawn in the two markets to facilitate only a particular group of traders to open the stalls on a particular day.
For instance, she said that traders falling within the white line can open their stalls for one day, and shut down the establishment the following day to allow the traders falling in the yellow line to do business. “This has been
done to facilitate and comply with the social distancing norms in the two markets,” Pooja added.
Meanwhile, President of the Margao New Market Traders Association, Vinod Shirodkar said the New Market will open from Monday, but by maintaining social distancing. “White and yellow lines have been drawn in the New Market to show that only one lane of stalls will remain open on a particular day. It has been decided to open the shops on alternate days,” he added.
Seeking cooperation of the traders as well as members of the public, Shirodkar made an appeal to the traders not to stock their goods outside their shops and requested the public to maintain social distancing.
“We will comply with the Collector’s order and cooperate with the government in implementing the lockdown guidelines,” Shirodkar said, while adding that the New Market will go into full operation from May 18 once the restrictions are fully removed.
