MARGAO
With the state of affairs in the wholesale fish market worsening with each passing day, the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) has put in place a makeshift action plan to keep it in a hygienic state till the commissioning of the modern market.
SGPDA Chairman MLA Krishna Salkar along with PDA Member Secretary Sheikh Ali descended on the market to monitor the measures that will be implemented as part of temporary arrangements.
He further said Chief Minister Pramod Sawant will take a call on the question of whether to spend Rs 1.5 crore to prepare the ground for temporary shifting of the wholesale fish market or work out other alternatives.
The PDA chairman told the media in the market that the contractor has been told to flush out the leachate to reduce the foul odour. He said the contractor has been directed to dump black metal on the market ground so that the stakeholders need not walk through the leachate.
Saying the PDA Member Secretary is personally monitoring the situation, he said the PDA is also finding ways to overcome the traffic snarls on the wholesale fish market with the help of the Fatorda police and traffic police.
“Though these issues fall in the jurisdiction of Margao Municipal Council and traffic, we will try and resolve traffic and parking issues in coordination with other departments,” he said, adding the new market under construction will have the capacity to accommodate around 300 vehicles.
Saying the SGPDA is not averse to extending more benefits to the local fishermen doing business in the wholesale fish market, Salkar pointed out that the PDA will float the wholesale fish market sopo collection tender by January 31, 2023. To a question, he said the PDA earns revenue of around Rs 12-13 lakh on an average per month from sopo fees.
