MARGAO
With the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) bracing up to take up phase II of the wholesale fish market construction, the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) is considering temporarily relocating the wholesale fish market to the Verna Industrial estate for six months.
SGPDA Chairman, MLA Krishna Salkar, said a final decision will be taken in the next three days over the date of shifting the wholesale fish market to the Verna IDC. “We have inspected a couple of sheds at the Verna Industrial estate which could be used for the makeshift wholesale fish market for a period of six months. The final decision will be taken soon,” he said.
The SGPDA Chairman pointed out that the PDA has mulled the temporary shifting of the wholesale fish market to the Verna IDC since the GSIDC is insisting on handing over the fish market land for phase II works of the facility.
“The GSIDC has promised to complete the entire work on the wholesale fish market within six months. However, they want the PDA to hand over the land where the wholesale fish market activity happens. Hence, we have been exploring the possibility of temporarily shifting the market to the Verna IDC,” he said.
Salkar told The Goan that the recently filled-up land at the SAG ground near the Ravindra Bhavan, Margao has not been found feasible as it would require a huge amount of money to tar and hotmix the area. “Since the area has been acquired for the SAG hockey ground, hotmixing the ground for the temporary shifting of the wholesale fish market may not be practical,” he said.
Even as many eyebrows would be raised amongst the stakeholders over the PDA’s plan to shift the wholesale fish market, the PDA Chairman said in a lighter vein that people would go to buy fish anywhere.
Fishermen plead with MMC, SGPDA not to displace them
Even as the SGPDA considers temporarily relocating the wholesale fish market to Verna, traditional fishermen from the coastal belt on Wednesday knocked on the doors of the Margao Municipal Council and the SGPDA with a plea not to displace them from the wholesale fish market.
Led by a city-based lawyer, Adv Anacleto Viegas, the fishermen from the villages of Benaulim, Colva and Cansaulim, made a fervent plea to the Margao Municipal Chief Officer Gaurish Sankhwalkar not to stop them from selling fish in the wholesale fish market.
The fishermen contended that they are not retail fish vendors as is made to be by the MMC and SGPDA, but traditional fishermen inhabiting the coast, who come to the wholesale fish market to sell their daily catch.
Adv Anacleto questioned why the MMC does not allow the vendors to do business in the wholesale fish market when it does not fall in their domain. The Chief Officer, however, clarified that the MMC’s jurisdiction starts outside the market and the civic body has no issue if the SGPDA allows the vendors to do business inside the market.
Adv Anacleto along with the fishermen later called on the SGPDA Chairman and officials to explain that they are not retail fish vendors, but Niz Goemkars engaged in fishing activities along the coastal belt.
