Margao Sub-divisional Magistrate Jyoti Kumari at a meeting called to break the stalemate between fish traders and the sopo contractor. Captured by : Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
A meeting convened on Monday by Sub-divisional Magistrate, Margao failed to break the deadlock between wholesale fish traders and the sopo contractor, with the traders sticking to their guns of not importing fish to Goa wholesale market at Margao as long as the incumbent sopo contractor continues to collect the fees.
This implies that fish from across the border will not come into the wholesale fish market at least in the coming days, which might further aggravate the fish scarcity in the markets.
The meeting called by SDM Jyoti Kumari on Monday noon was attended by SGDPA Member Secretary Vartika Dagur, sopo contractor Milagres Fernandes, wholesale fish market president M Ibrahim, Salcete Mamlatdar Prataprao Gaonkar and Fatorda PI Kapil Naik.
At the meeting, the SGPDA Member Secretary is believed to have categorically stated that the PDA has appointed Milagres as the sopo contractor and that the contractor is authorized to collect sopo fees.
The SDM told the media after the meeting that the contractor has been told to issue ID cards to his men collecting sopo from the fish vehicles entering the market. To the allegation of extortion made by the traders, the SDM said the traders have been told to lodge all their harassment and extortion complaint to the Fatorda police station for redressal.
The Sopo contractor said he would go by the suggestions made at the meeting to issue ID cards to his collectors. “I will issue certain color dress and ID cards for my men employed in the wholesale fish market for sopo collection. I reiterate my allegations that the wholesale fish traders created the scene and raised the allegations just because I am contesting the Margao Municipal election," Milagres told the media, adding that the wholesale fish market will continue as per the stipulated timings.
President of Margao wholesale fish market Association, M Ibrahim said the traders have assured the SDM there will be no any law and order situation from their end.
Ibrahim, however, said the situation is not conducive for the traders to import fish into the wholesale fish market with unknown miscreants damaging a fish truck parked on the western bypass road on Sunday evening.
“The SDM had convened the meeting from the law and order point of view. But, our issues remains unresolved. There’s been dadagiri from the sopo contractor for too long now. We would also like to know from the SGPDA why a sopo contractor appointed as a stop gap arrangement continues to collect the fees”, he said.
Demanding that the SGPDA float a tender to appoint a new sopo contractor, Ibrahim said the traders will not do any business in the wholesale fish market till Milagres continues to operate as a sopo contractor.
“We feel that our members will not be safe as long as Milagres continues to operate in the market. Fish vehicle drivers also fear for their life as a vehicle was stoned on Sunday evening. We are ready to pay the fees, but we cannot accept Milagres as the contractor”, he added.
The wholesale fish traders directed their ire at the SGPDA, pointing out that the PDA has not convened a single meeting to break the impasse. “We have no issues regarding the payments of sopo, but we do not want a stop gap contractor in the market”, he asserted.
