Sweepers engaged in a clean-up of the SGPDA retail market early Tuesday. The black spot on the PDA parking lot was also cleared of the litter and waste. Pics: Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
The South Goa Planning and Development Authority’s (SGPDA) retail market witnessed a flurry of activity early Tuesday morning, just hours before a district Collector-constituted panel was scheduled to inspect the mega market. Workers armed with brooms and other cleaning implements were pressed into service for a hurried clean-up operation.
Perhaps for the first time in recent memory, the black spot at the PDA parking lot adjoining the retail market was rid of its usual litter and stench. Garbage bins had been placed at the site, while the reckless dumping of waste appeared to have given way to the collection of garbage in gunny bags.
The sight of stray cattle feeding on mixed waste, which had virtually become a daily feature at the spot, was also missing. One stray animal, however, was seen resting at the site, seemingly waiting for the usual dumping of mixed waste to resume.
As members of the high-level 15-member panel descended on the mega market, the usual stench was conspicuous by its absence, both at the parking lot and along the market periphery.
Cosmetic changes notwithstanding, market’s civic woes persist
However, the temporary clean-up could hardly conceal the larger civic and infrastructural problems plaguing the market complex. During the inspection, the panel members and accompanying media personnel came across exposed electrical wiring, open drains and other glaring deficiencies. Foul odour and unhygienic conditions were also evident at various locations within the market.
When scribes brought the foul odour and other civic concerns to the attention of consumer rights activist and GOACAN Coordinator Roland Martins, who is also a member of the panel, he said it would take some time before things fell into place.
Asked when citizens and shoppers could expect a visible turnaround at the market complex, Martins pointed out that the panel’s mandate was limited to conducting an inspection and submitting a report to the South Goa District Collector for necessary action.
“The panel has already conducted an inspection of the SGPDA wholesale fish market. Representatives of various government agencies have been asked to prepare individual reports. These will be compiled into a consolidated report and submitted to the district Collector for action,” he said.
United Goans Foundation Secretary Avinash Tavares said the NGO has decided to associate itself with the 5-member panel constituted by the district Collector in order to give time to the authorities to take corrective measures in the PDA markets. “We will be constrained to knock the doors of the High Court if the turnaround fails to take place,” Tavares warned.
Grey areas in mega market complex
The district Collector-constituted panel inspecting the PDA mega market complex on Tuesday.
Martins conceded that several issues confronting the market did not necessarily fall within the clearly defined jurisdiction of individual departments. “There are many grey areas in the market which we are trying to address,” he said.
He added that the panel hoped to identify systemic weaknesses and recommend appropriate interventions to address them. “During the inspection, we have come across violations relating to almost every aspect of the rules. Waste collection, for instance, is not regulated. Though the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) is collecting the waste, there is no memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the SGPDA and the MMC, nor are any payments being made to the civic body. A MoU would have provided a framework for this inter-governmental arrangement, even if it involved the payment of a token amount of one rupee. We need to put the system in place,” Martins said.
The inspection has once again brought into focus the need for a coordinated approach among the government agencies concerned, with the market’s problems extending well beyond waste management to basic infrastructure, sanitation and regulatory oversight.
While the pre-inspection clean-up may have temporarily improved the market’s appearance, shoppers and traders will be looking for sustained corrective measures rather than cosmetic interventions whenever an inspection is scheduled.
Rs 75,000 penalty on planning body for market upkeep failure remains in limbo
MARGAO: As the SGPDA’s mega retail market came under another round of inspection by the authorities, the fate of the recommendation made by the Supreme Court-constituted Taluka Level Committee to impose a penalty of Rs 75,000 on the planning body for its failure to ensure the upkeep and maintenance of the wholesale fish market and the mega retail market remains unclear.
That’s not all. The report on the inspection of the PDA mega retail market conducted on June 17, in connection with the proceedings before the Consumer Conciliation Committee, is also still awaiting action.
When The Goan sought to ascertain the status of the recommendation made over a month ago by the Taluka Level Committee, headed by Sub-Divisional Magistrate Ganesh Barve, no response was forthcoming from the office of the South Goa District Collector.
It also remains unclear whether the recommendation to penalise the SGPDA, forwarded to the District Level Committee headed by the District Collector, has been acted upon or whether it is still awaiting consideration by the district-level panel. The District Collector has been appointed as the nodal officer by the Supreme Court in connection with a matter concerning the implementation of the Solid Waste Management Rules.
The delay has raised questions over the purpose and outcome of subsequent inspections conducted by the panel constituted by the District Collector, particularly when the recommendation of the Supreme Court-constituted Taluka Level Committee to impose a penalty on the SGPDA remains pending.
A senior official said that only the District Collector could clarify the status of the recommendation to impose a fine of Rs 75,000 on the SGPDA. “This is an issue falling within the domain of the District Collector, who heads the District Level Committee,” the official said.
