MARGAO
South Goa Planning and Development Authority’s planned inspection of the insulated vehicles at the wholesale fish market came a cropper after realisation suddenly dawned on officials that the competent authority to check the vehicles is the Food and Drugs Administration.
Given the situation, the wholesale fish traders are unlikely to receive the NOCs from the SGPDA in the immediate future and would have to wait for the FDA to inspect the vehicles.
SGPDA Member Secretary Ashok Kumar further made it clear to the wholesale fish traders that they will not be allowed to park the fish-laden vehicles in the market, insisting that these will have to move out after the sale.
He also said that only fresh catch will be allowed for sale in the wholesale fish market, hinting that the PDA is in favour of checking the quality of fish brought in by the vehicles on a daily basis.
Anticipating the PDA inspection as decided at the SGPDA meeting on Monday, wholesale fish traders parked around a dozen insulated vehicles for inspection before the SGPDA team comprising Ashok Kumar, PDA official Paul Gomes and members Venkat Raut, Lyndon Pereira and Tito Cardozo descended on the market.
As the wholesale fish traders took the PDA team for the inspection, Member Secretary Ashok Kumar made it clear they were not competent to inspect the vehicles, saying the FDA is the right authority as per the condition contained in the August 2 circular.
He later told the media that since the wholesale fish traders have claimed that they have complied with the guidelines on insulation, the PDA will write to the FDA to inspect the vehicles. “Our team had just come to the wholesale fish market based on the discussions at the PDA meeting held on Monday. We will get back to the Authority on Wednesday, making it clear that the FDA is the right authority to inspect the vehicles,” Ashok Kumar said.
He, however, said the team has asked the wholesalers to submit the list of the traders and the number of people transporting fish into the market. Kumar further told the media that the issues relating to sanitation and hygiene will be addressed once the market project undertaken by the GSIDC is complete within eight months.
Meanwhile, wholesaler Sheikh Zaid said the traders are all willing to comply with the FDA guidelines. “The association has around 100 members, but only a few of them are into the trade. We have been told to submit the list, which we will comply,” he added.
