the goan I network
vasco
In a strange situation, several vendors assembled at the Vasco police station on Wednesday, requesting the Vasco police to allow them to operate their stalls at the Saptah for five additional days till Saturday.
They have claimed that the Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) staff and inspectors had not make any efforts to clear their stalls since the seven-day Saptah Fair had officially ended on Monday.
Several vendors, who were directed to remove stalls after seven days of the Saptah, had gone to the Vasco police station in large numbers on Wednesday morning, after visiting the MMC and meeting Chairperson Nandadeep Raut.
Vendors said the Vasco police staff on Wednesday morning had been informing vendors along the Swatantra Path to clear the footpath and clear the stalls.
“Vasco police has informed us that there was no extension and roads of Swatantra Path have been open for vehicular movement. All vendors have been told to remove stalls as the process was already delayed by two days and the roads were opened for traffic on Tuesday,” said
a vendor.
“The Vasco police have said because our stalls are open and there is a mad rush, traffic movement is hampered and we must close our stalls immediately and clear the area. The MMC has unofficially said that we have got an extension but we have nothing in writing. When the MMC does not have any objection, why is the police being so strict with us?”
“We have had poor business because of rains and hence we have come here to request the Vasco police to allow us two days extension. The MMC does not have any objection if we continue operating for another two days,” the vendor
added.
Vendors said none of the MMC inspectors or staff had approached the vendors and made any efforts to remove the stalls, despite strict directives from MMC Chief Officer Gaurish S
hankhwalkar.
A few vendors later met DySP Sunita Sawant who denied any permission to the vendors on grounds that there was less staff to monitor the situation in case of an extension.
Sources said DySP Sawant also called up MMC Chief Officer Gaurish Shankhwalkar to enquire how someone in the MMC had directed the vendors to approach the police station for an extension and requested Shankhwalkar to clear the stalls by Wednesday
evening.
However till late Wednesday evening, the stalls continued to operate and no MMC staff or inspectors were seen removing the stalls.
No extension granted to vendors:
Mormugao civic body
VASCO: The Mormugao Municipal Council’s (MMC) reluctance to remove stalls from the Saptah Fair, which officially ended on Monday, was evident as the council has kept insisting that it would remove the stalls since the last three days.
Not only has the MMC failed to enforce its own decision, there has been virtually no effort whatsoever to send its inspectors to get the vendors to remove their stalls.
When contacted, MMC Chairperson Nandadeep Raut admitted that the last day of the Saptah stalls in the fair was on Monday and continued to maintain that the MMC inspectors were in the process of removing the stalls.
“We have not given any extension to the vendors. They had approached us complaining of less business due to rains. But we have said we cannot give any extension.”
“The last day of the fair was on Monday and we have not given any extension. Our inspectors are on the job and we are removing the stalls. We have given directions to inspectors to clear the stalls by evening and they have been doing it,” said Raut.
It may be recalled that MMC Chief Officer Gaurish Shankhwalkar on Tuesday had said there was no question of any extension to the vendors and that the stalls would be cleared by Tuesday evening.
