the goan I network
MAPUSA
Stating that they have been constantly raising the issue of vendors in Mapusa market with the Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) in the past, the Mapusa Merchants’ Association on Thursday said they were not in favour of the bandh called to highlight the vendors’ plight in the city.
“We totally oppose any forceful attempt to shut down our business. The Mapusa merchants are not in favour of this bandh of market on Friday,” said Ashish Shirodkar, President of the Mapusa Merchants’ Association (MMA).
The Revolutionary Goans leader Manoj Parab had called for the bandh of the Mapusa market on January 24 in support of Goan vendors who were deprived of space in the flower market with preference being given to migrants.
Shirodkar said the MMA has been raising the issue for the last four years and had requested the MMC to regulate proper vending zones and implement the Town Vending Committee Act in Mapusa.
“All our requests, demands and petitions have met with resistance within the municipal council. If only the MMC had paid heed to our demands four years back, this situation would not have arisen now,” he said.
The MMA chief said that the activists/NGOs were actually fighting the same issue with the MMC as the association has been doing for the last four years.
“The issues remain the same, but due to egoistic attitude of some councillors, now they have to deal with increasing number of peripheral groups and activists,” Shirodkar said.
He said the MMA was aware of the issues affecting the market but were firm not to allow unauthorized shutdown/bandh of the market by anyone not connected to the market.
The MMA President has also written to Mapusa PI requesting for adequate police force in the municipal market specially around the flower market from Friday morning.
