MAPUSA
Expressing disappointment at the lax attitude of the civic body in resolving the problems faced by the traders in the Mapusa market, the Mapusa Merchants’ Association (MMA) on Tuesday said the Mapusa Municipal Council lacked a “political will” to take some tough action to streamline the market.
The trading community also said the civic body only gave assurances but failed to keep its word in the interest of the traders and the public at large.
“For the last several years we have been literally begging with the civic administration to bring order in the market but except for assurances nothing happens. Once famous for its market in the State, Mapusa is now a dead town. Nobody cares. The council, the local MLA and even the government don’t care. It’s our misfortune,” lamented Pandurang Sawant, Joint Secretary of MMA, while expressing his frustration at the civic body’s inaction on problems faced by the traders in the municipal market.
Last month, a team of the civic body including the chairperson and the chief officer, fire officers and other officials had conduc++ted a joint inspection in the market and proposed several measures to streamline the market.
“To our utter disappointment, nothing has changed since the joint inspection. On several occasions, we identified the same problems and even offered solutions to resolve them. But no one has bothered to act on the suggestions,” said MMA President Shripad Sawant, while handing a memorandum to MMC Chairperson Priya Mishal.
The MMA chief said that the fruit vendors have been blocking the access road in the market depriving a right of way for essential services like fire brigade during the emergency.
“Last Sunday, a major tragedy was averted when a fire incident happened in the market. The fire tender which was called could not find its way because the fruit vendors occupy more space than allotted to them,” Sawant said.
Similarly, he said one public toilet near the Shantadurga hotel has not been functioning for the last several years and the contractor who mans the other toilet near the ‘matka’ market was exploiting people by overcharging.
The traders also said that poor illumination in the market during the nights and non-functional CCTV cameras posed a threat to the shops from burglary attempts.
“We have raised the same issues several times. We are fed up of raising the issues again and again. MMC is not doing anything. The local MLA has also failed to resolve our problems,” said Siddhesh Raut, Secretary of MMA.
MMC Chairperson Priya Mishal assured to take up the issues of the traders and also requested the MMA members to join the town vending committee meeting to resolve the problem of vendors.
