MARGAO
With hundreds of illegal vendors swarming around the market right under the nose of the civic body, the Gandhi Market Readymade Garments and Vegetable Vendors Association on Tuesday served a 15-day ultimatum on the Margao Municipal Council to either crack a whip against the vendors and hawkers or brace up to face a morcha.
The association also called for the cleanliness of the municipal market, including the Sadekar and other lanes, and take up the repair works of the shed in the Gandhi market on top priority.
Led by association vice-president Rajendra Ajgaonkar, Mohammed Pandiyal, Aslam Sheikh and others, the panel drew the attention of the MMC Chairperson Lyndon Pereira and Chief Officer Agnelo Fernandes to the association’s letter dated September 21, wherein they had urged the civic body to crack a whip against the illegal hawkers and vendors.
The delegation, however, lamented that instead of ridding the markets of the illegal vendors and hawkers, the number of illegalities has only increased during the last two months.
In fact, Ajgaonkar pointed out there’s been no action on the part of the civic body against the illegal businesses by the encroachers in the last two months.
"Our business has been adversely affected because of these illegal vendors and hawkers, resulting in financial loss. We have been repeatedly making requests to the civic body to take quick action, but there’s no response so far,” Ajgaonkar rued.
The delegation demanded that the civic body immediately conduct a survey to find out the number of illegal gadas and roadside hawkers in Margao and Fatorda.
“Vegetables come from Belgaum and neighbouring states outside the Gandhi Market which are brought in by outsider traders. Our vendors are sustaining losses for want of business. The civic body should step in immediately,” he demanded.
The Chairperson and Chief Officer gave the delegation a patient hearing and promised to get the civic workers posted at the municipal markets to crack a whip. The duo pointed out that the civic body is facing a shortage of market inspectors as well as supervisors, saying the civic body would make temporary arrangements to conduct drives in the market area.
