MARGAO
Delegation of Wholesale Fish Market Traders Association on Thursday called on SGPDA Member Secretary, Sheikh Ali seeking his intervention to the exorbitant fees charged by the contractor appointed by the PDA.
The SGPDA Member Secretary gave a patient hearing to the delegation, and has promised to put up their grievances before the ensuing Authority meeting.
After the meeting, Sheikh Zaid representing the Wholesale Fish Market Traders Association told the media that the contractor appointed by the PDA to collect sopo charges from the fish traders has been levying exorbitant fees on the fish transporting vehicles entering the market.
“As per the system in place, heavy vehicles entering the market were to be charged Rs 500. We have now received complaints that the collectors are even charging Rs 1,000 per heavy vehicle entering the market,” he claimed.
He added: “The wholesale fish market traders had been paying fees amounting to Rs 500 on heavy vehicle entering the market. But, now the collectors charge the rates as per their whims and fancies. We do not even know whether the money collected from the wholesale fish market comes to the PDA treasury.”
Saying that the SGPDA Member Secretary has promised to cooperate with the traders to ensure that the fees prescribed by the PDA are implemented at the wholesale fish market, Zaid said the SGPDA meeting should take serious cognizance on their complaint and mete out justice to the fish traders.
