Margao Municipal Market inspectors conducting a survey of the roadside Goan vendors doing business on the footpath opposite the Margao police station.
MARGAO
The Margao Municipal Council (MMC) has kicked off a survey of Goan vendors from the hinterland talukas who sell fruits and vegetables along the roadside opposite the Margao Police Station.
The survey comes against the backdrop of a morcha taken to the Margao Municipal building earlier this week by the Gandhi Market Vendors Association, led by former Deputy Chief Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar, demanding the removal of all illegal roadside vendors or action against them.
A team of MMC market inspectors visited the area opposite the Margao Police Station to collect details of the vendors, including their names, places of residence and the number of years they have been selling goods on the pavements.
A market inspector told the media that Chief Officer Madhu Narvekar had ordered the survey to ascertain the number of Goan vendors from the hinterland talukas operating on the footpath opposite the police station.
These vendors have been demanding dedicated space in the commercial capital for the past 25 years, approaching successive governments but to no avail.
In fact, PWD Minister Digambar Kamat had announced a month ago that a dedicated space would be earmarked at the old Margao bus stand. However, the plan has been put on hold following questions over the prudence of rehabilitating vendors and gadda traders on prime public land worth crores of rupees.
The minister later announced that the vendors could be shifted to the old fish market, where the MMC has proposed a multi-level parking lot.
