the goan I network
MARGAO
Facing an acid test to put the messy wholesale fish market in order, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday promised to accord top priority to rebuild Goa’s only wholesale fish market at Madel to provide safe and quality fish to fish loving Goans and disclosed plans to soon call a high-level meeting to sort out all issues plaguing the market, including the location of the proposed world class food testing lab.
After visiting both the wholesale fish market at Madel and the retail fish market at the Osia complex, the Chief Minister issued a host of directions to the PDA to stop sale of retail fish in the wholesale fish market at 9 am and to accommodate the vendors in the retail market.
The Chief Minister’s statement that fish coming into the wholesale fish market from outside the State should be tested and checked to provide safe and quality fish to the people, assumes significance since the formalin scare had started from the wholesale fish market over a year ago.
The Chief Minister further said the PDA proposal to set up a cold storage in the wholesale fish market will be discussed with the GSIDC, which has already prepared market makeover plan. He also said the government will take a call on PDA Chairman MLA Wilfred D’Sa’s suggestion to allot a portion of the GSUDA acquired land for the vehicular parking.
Descending in the wholesale fish market for the first time with Dy. Chief Minister Chandrakant Kavlekar, Fisheries Minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues, Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat, Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, PDA Chairman Wilfred D’Sa and officials on early Thursday
morning, the Chief Minister got a first hand experience of the stinking environment in the market. Representatives of the ramponkars, besides fish vendors operating in the wholesale fish market and retail market also called on the Chief Minister with their grievances.
“The government would accord topmost priority to the wholesale market project. It can be a revenue earning project. I will call a meeting with GSIDC official to take the project forward”, Sawant said, after Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai told the Chief Minister that the project, which was initially estimated to cost Rs 12.5 crore had received the government’s financial sanction.
Given that the SGPDA has taken the decision to set up the food testing lab at the retail market upon a request from the Export Inspection Agency (EIA) of the Export Council of India, Sawant said the government would bring on board both FDA and the Fisheries department to find out whether to set up the lab at the wholesale fish market since fish from outside the state first comes to the wholesale market.
When his attention was drawn to the fact that fish testing is taking place in the wholesale fish market, Sawant said the government is concerned about the health of the people, but added that the lab cannot come overnight and will take some time.
