VASCO
Fish vendors from Vasco market on Wednesday confronted Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) Chairperson Deepak Naik, demanding to know why the council had not acted against the lamanis and other hawkers selling fish by the roadside.
Armed with an FIR copy from Vasco Police and a complaint, Carridade Pereira, leader of the Vasco fish vendors, sought to know why MMC had not initiated action against the lamanis and others selling fish along the roadside every evening.
Pereira told Naik that Vasco Police had directed them to approach MMC over the issue of sale of fish along the roadside.
After giving them a patient hearing, Naik admitted that lamanis were illegally selling fish along the roadside.
Naik, however, sought to know from Pereira whether the lamanis could sell fish door-to-door instead of selling fish along the roadside, but Pereira flatly rejected the proposal.
Sensing that the situation was getting out of control, Naik told Pereira that he would write to the police not to allow lamanis to sell fish along the roadside.
Not satisfied with Naik's reply, Pereira and other fish vendors left the office with a warning that if sale by unauthorised vendors was not stopped, the situation would go out of control.
Speaking to The Goan, Pereira said the lamanis were initially employed to carry baskets of fish to the market.
“The lamanis requested to allow them to sell fish by going door-to-door, which was agreed,” said Pereira.
“The lamanis and their relatives slowly started selling fish along the roadside, which started to disturb our business in the market.”
“We had warned them many times not to sell fish along the roadside, but our warnings fell on deaf ears. The final straw was when the lamanis along with their male counterparts attacked us in the fish market on March 22,” said Pereira.
“We request the trawler owners not to sell fish to the lamanis and have also asked the council to take strict action on those selling fish by the roadside,” added Pereira.
When contacted, MMC Chairperson Deepak Naik said the lamanis also met him over the issue of sale of fish by the roadside.
“I strictly warned them not to sell fish by the roadside as it creates traffic problems,” said Naik.
“As far as fish vendors from Vasco market, I informed them that I will write to the police to keep a check on the sale of fish by the roadside and book them for violating traffic rules,” added Naik.
