Traditional poders say Rs 20 to Rs 50 hike leaves them with no option
Traditional bakers have cried foul over the hike in sopo fees in Margao; (Inset) An occupation fee receipt of Rs 50 issued by the Margao Municipal Council.
MARGAO
Traditional bakers in the commercial capital are up in arms over the sudden hike in sopo collection fees, threatening to raise the price of pav if the Margao Municipal Council does not rethink its decision.
The mobile poders (bakers) selling bakery items, including pav and polli, on cycles have protested against the sudden hike in the sopo fee from Rs 20 to Rs 50 per day. They have questioned how the sopo fee contractor effected the hike without taking the bakers into confidence.
The bakers have now decided to call on Margao municipal officials, including chairperson Damu Shirodkar, seeking his intervention in the matter. A delegation of bakers is also planning to call on PWD Minister Digambar Kamat, who represents the Margao constituency, seeking his intervention.
The bakers pointed out that they will be left with no option but to hike the price of bread in the commercial capital if the authorities do not roll back the sopo fee hike.
“We fail to understand how the sopo contractor is suddenly charging the bakers Rs 50 when they have been paying Rs 20 to the collection agents over the last several months,” remarked a baker.
Leader of the All Goa Bakers Association, Conceissao D’Costa, told the media that the sudden hike in sopo fees imposed on the bakers is totally unacceptable.
“We do not know the rationale behind the hike in sopo fees. We had no problem paying the Rs 20 sopo fee per day to the MMC. This hike is not acceptable. We may have to increase the price of pav in the city if there is no rollback,” he said.
Another traditional baker, Agostinho Gomes, also lodged his protest against the sudden hike in sopo fees. “We will take up the matter with the bakers' association to take a collective stand on the issue,” he said.
