the goan I network
VASCO
The ongoing anti-encroachment drive up by the Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) took an ugly turn on Thursday afternoon, after vegetable vendors and the MMC Accounts cum Taxation Officer (ATO) sparred in the presence of MMC inspectors.
While the MMC ATO Riya G Naik alleged that some vendors had misbehaved with her while she was on official duty during the anti-encroachment drive, the vendors claimed that the ATO had threatened the vendors and had directed MMC inspectors to remove goods that were inside their stalls.
Vasco police rushed to the site to defuse the tension as vendors began confronting the MMC ATO and inspectors, and picked a vendor accused of arguing with
the ATO.
Expressing solidarity with the detained vendor, several other vendors also went to the Vasco police station and threatened to shut all vegetable and fruit stalls in the city and suburbs as a mark of protest.
While at the Vasco police station, several agitated vendors insisted that MMC came clear with a policy for vegetables and fruit vendors.
The vendors said Sopo contractors would collect fees on a daily basis from small vendors selling products on the road in the Vegetable market, while the ATO would arrive and confiscate goods from small vendors under the pretext of the anti-encroachment drive.
“We are willing to cooperate with the MMC. We had met the MMC chief officer last time and expressed our need to keep leafy vegetables outside our stalls for display as it gets spoilt inside the shop and the chief officer had agreed to our request,” said vegetable vendors association leader Prashant Naik.
“However during the drive in the last two days, our leafy vegetables are being confiscated. When we told the ATO that we had received permission from the chief officer to display only leafy vegetables, she demanded to show her the order and began confiscating our vegetables.”
“We, in turn, asked her to show the order for the anti-encroachment drive and the she began threatening us and directed MMC inspectors to confiscate vegetables which were not outside the shop. We began to resist the inspectors and she called the police for assistance.”
“This is harassment meted out to us and we will finally close down all shops selling fruits and vegetables in Vasco in protest,” Naik added.
Another vendor, Vishnu Prabhu, said the MMC should come clear with an arrangement for vegetable and fruit vendors or demarcate a fixed area for display of leafy vegetables which gets spoilt if not displayed outside the shops
Since MMC Chief Officer Agnelo Fernandes was on leave, he was not available for comments in the matter.
Our panel against encroachments
since day one: Gaonkar
VASCO: MMC Chairperson Kritesh Gaonkar brushed aside allegations by some councillors that the anti-encroachment drive was a publicity stunt prior to the no-confidence motion against him and MMC Vice-Chairperson Shashikant Parab.
“Our panel has been against encroachments since day one of coming into power and we have earlier also carried many such drives,” defended Gaonkar, while speaking to reporters.
“We have successfully evicted fruit vendors and hawkers from the footpaths of the old Vasco bus stop. Our anti-encroachment drives have been appreciated by a large number of residents, who now have a congestion-free market and footpaths.”
“We have also got all fruit vendors from across the city to one area and it becomes convenient for residents as well. This is not a publicity stunt but an effort to clear encroachments in the city,” Gaonkar added.
