Municipal officials remove illegal roadside and pavement vendors following protest by traders’ body
Margao council cracked a whip against encroachments on Sadekar Lane after a protest by New Market traders.
MARGAO
Tuesday morning saw Margao Municipal New Market traders taking out a morcha to the office of Margao Municipal Chief Officer Madhu Narvekar, demanding action against illegal flower and other vendors doing business outside the market roadside and on the pavements and footpaths.
By noon, Margao Municipal inspectors and workers descended on Sadekar Lane in the New Market to remove rampant encroachments displayed on the passage.
While members of the New Market Traders, led by Gopal Naik and Digambar Sawal, accompanied the Municipal workers to Sadekar Lane to remove the encroachments, they had no answer to queries from the media on whether they would also invite the Municipal workers to enter the market to clear encroachments as per the 1997 High Court order.
The delegation of market vendors led by Gopal and Digambar explained to the Chief Officer how illegal vendors and hawkers have been mushrooming around the New Market area, adversely affecting the business of the legal vendors.
They sought to clarify that they are not against the flower vendors selling flowers on the roadside near the Pimpalkatta, saying it is for the authorities to rehabilitate them elsewhere. “We have flower vendors operating inside the New Market. They too are Goemkars who eke a living from the sale of flowers. Their business has been affected adversely since illegal flower vendors do brisk sales of flowers on the roadside outside the market,” Gopal and Digambar said.
By noon, Margao Municipal Chief Officer Madhu Narvekar ordered a crackdown on the encroachments on Sadekar Lane. Both Gopal and Digambar demanded that the MMC workers carry out the encroachment drive as part of their normal duties.
When the media questioned the duo on whether they would invite the MMC Chief Officer to conduct an inspection of the New Market as per the 1997 High Court order on encroachments, both Gopal and Digambar had no answer. In fact, they pointed out that it is for the MMC to take a call on whether to inspect the market and clear encroachments, if any.
While Sadekar Lane cleared, fast-food gaddas still rule
MARGAO: Even as the Margao Municipal Council cracked a whip against illegal vendors encroaching on Sadekar Lane in the New Market, civic officials as well as workers seemed to have run out of ideas on how to remove the fast-food gaddas doing business in the Margao Municipal parking areas opposite the Margao KTC bus stand.
A resident, Milagres Fernandes, approached the Margao Municipal officers on Tuesday evening to complain about the blatant violations of Municipal rules by the fast-food gaddas at the MMC parking lot.
When he took media persons to the parking lot to show the extent of irregularities, they found, to their shock and surprise, that not only had the fast-food gaddas become stationary, but they had also encroached on the public space right under the very nose of the Municipal authorities.
“How can the MMC turn a blind eye to the illegalities resorted to by the fast-food gaddas? Some of these gaddas are being run by outsiders. They are supposed to cart away the gaddas to their place of residence after business hours, but in vain,” Milagres said.
Saying the MMC-acquired parking lot falls in Ward No. 1 of the Margao Municipal Council, Milagres wondered why no action has been forthcoming from the Municipal officials against the violations till date.
He has set a 10-day deadline for the Margao Municipal Council to initiate action or threatened to escalate the issue by sitting on a dharna in front of the Municipal building.
