MARGAO
Asserting that the authority would like to know how the wholesale fish traders have complied with the FDA guidelines, the South Goa Planning and Development Authority on Monday has resolved to inspect the insulated vehicles used by the wholesale fish traders to transport fish from across the borders.
The PDA will not only inspect the insulated vehicles, but will ask the wholesale fish traders to show the PDA the space where they intended to park their vehicles after the sale of fish in the wholesale fish market, with PDA Chairperson Dr Renuka Da Silva making it clear that the wholesale fish market cannot be a parking yard for fish vehicles.
The decision to conduct inspection of the insulated vehicles of the wholesale fish traders as per the FDA guidelines was taken at a meeting of the SGPDA chaired by Dr Renuka Da Silva on Monday and was attended amongst others by MLAs, Digambar Kamat and Ravi Naik.
Briefing the media after the meeting, Dr Renuka said since the wholesale fish agents have indicated that they have complied with the FDA guidelines, the PDA has resolved to inspect the insulated fish vehicles on Tuesday before the PDA takes any decision on issuance of NOCs for the traders.
“We think seeing is believing. Given the sensitive nature of the issue, we would like to inspect the insulated vehicles which would be used by the traders to import fish from across the borders,” she said.
“An open space used for business and a retail premise are different. The wholesale fish market is an assembly to sell fish. We have not decided to reject the applications moved by the traders to issue NOCs, but any decision will be taken only if the traders have complied with the FDA guidelines,” she added.
Making it clear that the PDA has neither rejected the applications for NOC nor have decided to shut down the wholesale fish market, Dr Renuka said the PDA is also sensitive to the concerns expressed by the people of Goa. “The PDA cannot be oblivious to the concerns raised by the people, whether the fish imported into the wholesale
fish market is free from preservatives or it is fresh or stale,” she said.
Saying the wholesale traders will have to also tell the PDA what they will do with the leftover fish to ensure stale fish does not find its way into the market, the PDA Chairperson made it clear that the condition of insulated vehicles for transportation of fish will not be applicable for the fish directly coming from the sea.
