MARGAO
The contentious issues of exorbitant sopo fees levied at the wholesale fish market took the centre stage at the SGPDA meeting on Wednesday with members requesting PDA Chairman MLA Krishna Salkar to resolve the issue and also float the e-tender to rule out allegations of overcharging.
The meeting held against the backdrop of the law and order situation at the wholesale fish market last week over levy of sopo fees on fish transporting vehicles discussed ways and means of ensuring transparency and to float the e-tender.
After the meeting, Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai told the media that there seemed competitive goondagiri at the wholesale fish market, which will not be tolerated by him in his constituency. “I will not brook any harassment to the fishermen, including traditional fishermen as well as the fish traders," he said.
Attributing the constant fights in the wholesale fish market to the delay in floating the tender to collect sopo fees, Sardesai said he has urged the PDA to do the re-assessment and come up with a viable upset price. “I don’t think that the amount of Rs 50 lakh per month calculated by the PWD will work in the market. This will only result in collection of the fees at the point of gun or a sword. To avoid this, let the PDA do the assessment and come out with a viable upset price”, he said, while calling for a holistic solution to the wholesale fish market imbrogolio.
Margao MLA Digambar Kamat also called for a solution to the sopo fees at the earliest. He said the PDA has decided to charge different rates for eight-wheeler and 10-wheeler bringing fish to the market, adding that the PDA has been told to float the e-tender by month end.
SGPDA Chairman Krishna Salkar said the issue over sopo fees in the wholesale fish market will be resolved by taking the fishermen and traders into account. He also said the sopo fee collection tender will be floated before the Assembly session.
Pay parking: The SGPDA has also resolved to introduce pay parking on the sprawling PDA grounds after floating a tender. Salkar informed that the PDA has given the go-ahead signal to introduce pay parking on the PDA ground after an assessment. He, however, hastened to add no pay parking will be enforced on the PDA grounds during the feast fair. We will charge minimum parking fees’, he added.
Retail market: Given the deteriorating condition of the PDA mega retail market for want of maintenance, the SGPDA will send a proposal to the government to refurbish the retail market to give a new look to the market.
The PDA Chairman said that though the PDA has de-silted the market in a month-long operation by removing 150-truck load of silt, he said the PDA will approach the government for a grant to refurbish and renovate the market. “After the market is renovated and given a new look, the PDA will the approach the vendors to pay a higher maintenance fee towards the upkeep and maintenance of the market”, he added.
3.5 FAR: Is the SGPDA planning to give an unprecedented 350 FAR to a building proposed for re-development in the commercial capital. This became a subject of debate in city circles whether the isuse over the FAR had come up for discussions. A member attending the meeting said the issue did not come up for discussion, but some members deliberated amongst themselves whether the PDA will give the 350 FAR to the building without checking the ground reality, including the road width to the building in question.
