MARGAO
The eight-day Old market feast fair officially ended in the record books of the Margao Municipal Council on Sunday.
The hustle and bustle, however, continued unabated on the ground, with most of the stalls conducting the business activity right under the nose of the Margao Municipal city fathers and officials when curtains on the fair ought to have come down on the fair on Sunday.
The question that is uppermost in the minds of citizens is whether the Margao Municipality will benefit by way of revenue from the extra days of the fair, or will unscrupulous elements pocket the revenue from the vendors and hawkers.
Margao Municipal Chairperson Damu Shirodkar has on Monday claimed that the civic body has become richer by Rs 30-odd lakh from the fair. It could, however, not be ascertained whether the civic body will officially collect the revenue from the extra days to further enrich its coffers.
The Margao Municipal chairperson, however, has come under the scanner over the illegal business activity carried out at the old market fair well beyond the eight-day period, sought to evade questions posed by the media on Monday.
When the media drew his attention to the business activity continuing at the old market fair, he said the Municipal market inspectors have gone on the field to stop the activity. At one point, he said the vendors have started winding up the business and dismantling the stalls, even as he stated in the same breath that the pre-monsoon showers had played spoil sport to the business activity.
“The Municipal market inspectors are on the ground to ensure the hawkers dismantle the stalls and wind up the business,” he said, when the media pointed out that the stalls are doing brisk business despite curtains coming down on the eight-day fair period on Sunday.
Margao Municipal councillor Johnny Crasto told the media that the fair ought to have come to an end on Sunday. While saying he fails to understand how come the fair still continues at the old market area, Crasto said the MMC chairperson owes an explanation to the people over the extension of the fair.
