MAPUSA
The Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) has unanimously decided not to allow Gobi Manchurian stalls in Shree Bodgeshwar Zatra in Mapusa.
At a council meeting chaired by MMC Chairperson Priya Mishal on Tuesday, the MMC also decided to charge Rs 800 as running metre for Sopo tax from stalls at the Zatra which would also include garbage tax.
It was discussed that Gobi Manchurian stalls are usually set up at festivals but vendors do not take any precaution regarding hygiene. The government has directed that such stalls should only be put up after taking prior permissions from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Hence, these stalls would not be allowed in the Zatra, and a proposal, moved by Councillor Tarak Arolkar, was accepted by other councillors.
It was decided to take Rs 800 as Sopo tax per running metre for the stalls at the zatra and it would include garbage tax. A letter regarding the same was handed over to the temple committee, saying that when the committee takes donations from stall owners, the MMC would also collect the tax at the same time.
For this year’s Zatra, 641 vendors have applied to put up their stalls, informed Councillor Anand Bhaidkar in the meeting.
MMC Chairperson Priya Mishal said the MMC would not give garbage bins to the stall owners, and they should segregate dry and wet waste on their own.
Councillor Dr Nutan Bicholkar suggested that the cleaning staff of the MMC should not be employed to clean the garbage at the Zatra as it would cleanliness in the municpality. Mishal assured that a meeting would be called on Wednesday to decide on this issue.
Some councillors suggested that local Mhapsekars should be given priority to put up stalls at the Zatra.
