the goan I network
MARGAO
After a brief lull, the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) on Friday cracked a whip against the retail sale of fish in the wholesale market, with officials warning the vendors to stop the retail fish sale or face action.
This is the first time post-formalin episode that the SGDPA officials with the help of Margao Municipal Council workers and the Fatorda police descended at the wholesale fish market to crack a whip against the illegal retail fish vendors.
Hundreds of fish loving Goans visit the wholesale fish market every day, morning, afternoon and in the evenings to purchase fresh fish brought to the market by the local fishermen after the formalin episode.
With the retail fish markets facing a trust deficit post-formalin episode, it remains to be seen how the SGPDA will go ahead with the action when customers throng the wholesale fish market in search of formalin-free fish, especially netted by the traditional fishermen.
Customers informed that they prefer to come to the wholesale fish market to make fish purchases to ensure they buy only the fish brought by the traditional fishermen and the local boat owners.
SGPDA official Paul Gomes along with the police tried to clear the retail vendors sitting on the road leading inside the market. The gate was also closed for some time, before it was opened to allow the customers to leave the market.
The SGPDA action comes a day after agitated SGPDA retail fish vendors marched to the office of the PDA on Tuesday demanding a stop to retail sale of fish in the wholesale fish market.
The retail vendors made their presence felt in the
PDA office when the Authority was holding its adjourned meeting.
The retail fish vendors pointed out to the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) member secretary Ashok Kumar that while their business has been hit hard after the formalin episode, the retail sale of fish in the PDA market
has only aggravated matters for them.
The vendors maintained that retail sale of fish has been going on unabated in the wholesale fish market since the start of the new fishing season, adversely affecting their retail business.
