MARGAO
A storm is brewing in Goa’s lone wholesale fish market with the wholesale fish traders on Tuesday point blank conveying to the men-in-uniform that they will pay the sopo fees on fish vehicles only to the fee collectors authorized by the SGPDA.
Claiming that the sopo collectors in the market are accompanied by bouncers, the wholesale fish traders told the media after calling on the Fatorda police that they will also rope in bouncers from Wednesday, warning that SGPDA and the Member Secretary Sheikh Ali will be solely responsible for any law and order situation in the wholesale fish market.
The wholesale fish traders received the backing of the retail fish vendors from the SGPDA mega retail market, insisting their business in the retail has suffered because of rampant illegal retail sale of fish in the wholesale fish market.
Tuesday saw a delegation of Margao Wholesale Fish market Association led by president M Ibrahim calling on Fatorda Police station in-charge, PI Nethan Almeida to submit a memorandum highlighting the illegalities in the SGPDA wholesale fish market.
In the memorandum, Ibrahim attached RTP replies from the SGPDA, claiming that while the sopo collector is charging certain amount of fees from the wholesale fish agents, the entire collection is not reflected in the RTI replies.
PI Almeida, however, advised the delegation to take up the matter with the SGPDA planning body, saying the matter falls in the PDA jurisdiction.
Raising the issue of overcharging and the collectors collecting the fees without identity cards, Ibrahim , however, told the police that they will hand over the sopo fees only to those collectors who are authorized with identity cards issued by the SGPDA.
Ibrahim later told the media that the wholesale fish traders have decided not to allow migrant vendors selling retail fish in the wholesale fish market.
“If required, we will take the law in our hands to drive away the migrant vendors doing illegal retail fish sale in the market. This wholesale fish market is meant for the boat owners, fish traders and around 30-40 Goan traditional fishermen and not for the migrant vendors. We will stop the retail fish sale activity since the PDA has been found wanting in cracking the whip”, he added.
