MARGAO
Government’s mandate to the Municipal bodies to issue trade licences online has run into rough weather with the former Dy Chief Minister and leader of Gandhi Market Vendors Association Manohar Ajgaonkar red flagging the initiative.
Ajgaonkar has served an eight-day deadline on the Margao Municipal Council and the government to maintain the status quo or face a stir. Ajgaonkar has threatened to shut down the market and take out a morcha on the Margao Municipal Council on the issue.
Ajgaonkar does not rule out the possibility of exploitation of illiterate vendors by unscrupulous employees, besides agents and touts under the guise of implementing the online system.
Addressing the media, Ajgaonkar clarified he has no objection to the government’s online initiative in issuing trade licences, but demanded that the civic body also keep the offline option open for the poor and uneducated vendors operating in the markets.
“Today I had gone to the Margao Municipality to find out about the new online system wherein the vendors are required to obtain their trade licences online. This is a gross injustice to the vendors as they have no wherewithal and means to submit their applications online. If the government is hell-bent on implementing the online system for trade licences, we have no problem, but the MMC should keep open offline system as well,” he demanded.
Saying the online system will not go down well with the older generation, Ajgaonkar said, “We are in favour of digitisation, but the older generation should be spared by allowing them to submit their applications across the counter.”
He added, “The Margao Municipality should set up a Help Desk at the entrance to the civic building to help the poor and the illiterate vendors obtain the trade licences.”
Saying that the BJP-led government is run by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, hailing from the Bahujan Samaj, Ajgaonkar said he has drawn the attention of the Margao MLA Digambar Kamat and the Margao Municipal councillors to help the beleaguered vendors.
He warned that the Gandhi Market Vendors Association would be forced to shut down the market and take out a morcha to the Margao Municipality if their demand is not met within eight days.
