MARGAO: The South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) will have to waitat least till October 21 to start departmental collection of sopo fees in thewholesale fish market.
For, a Margao Court’s direction to thePDA to maintain status quo in the market will extend till the next date ofhearing, giving the sopo contractor the sole right to collect fees fromvehicles entering the market.
But, a bigger question has come to hauntthe SGPDA chairman, MLA Wilfred D’Sa and Member Secretary Vertika Dagur “whether the PDA officials cannot enter the wholesale fish market to enforcesocial distancing in view of the overcrowding witnessed in the market in thelast few days.
These questions assume significance and comeagainst the backdrop of rampant violation of social distancing norms andovercrowding by outstation vehicles in Goa’s lone wholesale fish market.
For, in the past, the SGPDA had cappedthe entry of vehicles into the wholesale fish market, by allowing only 25vehicles. But, with the fishing season at its peak, with traditional fishermenrecording sizeable fish catch, questions are being raised whether the SGPDA hasdispensed with the ceiling on the number of vehicles entering the market.
“It’s understandable that the SGPDA haswithdrawn the men appointed in the market to keep a watch on the vehiclesentering the market with the Court directing the PDA to maintain status quovis-Ã -vis the contractor”, sources pointed out.
At the same time, sources questioned,whether the PDA has been barred from enforcing social distancing or to cap thelimit on the number of fish vehicles entering the wholesale fish market.
