MARGAO: The South Goa Planning and Development Authority has decided to start the SGPDA wholesale fish market from Friday. The PDA has decided to assign the same contractor for collection of the newly introduced levy charges for the trucks doing business while keeping their own staff to look over the same.
The authority’s meeting was held on Thursday. The PDA after the petition by wholesale fish traders in High Court which questioned why the authority had failed to open the market had started the process and decided to open the market only on August 1. However, the authority has now decided to open the market for fish trade from Friday.
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The SGPDA today decided to give the collection of the levy charges to the same contractor who is collecting levy at the retail market, Milagres Fernandes. He will collect the levy charges from the wholesale fish market too. Chairman Wilfred D’Sa said since he took charge of the SGPDA he has increased the levy charges to from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh. “Since he knows the operations we have appointed him,” the chairman said.
The chairman has also said there will be men from the SGPDA for timekeeping for the vehicles entering and leaving the marketplace. He also said that the Food and Drugs Administration will be checking the fish at the gate for formalin lacing. An office place will be vacated for the team of FDA to house their necessary material. When asked whether the fish is checked at the border, the SGPDA chairman Wilfred D’Sa said that he has no idea whether it is checked or not. At least 25 trucks will be coming to the market after the market is officially opened, D’Sa said
Margao MLA, Digambar Kamat said the authority has nodded that minimum Rs 3 lakh have to come to the authority.
Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai said, “I have strongly insisted on the checking of the fish before it is sold to the market. The issue was; who will collect since he is best equipped right now and he will be allowed to continue to do so”.
