TEAM HERALD
PORVORIM: Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) has decided to increase the sopo rates for vendors in the vegetable and the fish markets.
In the council meeting on Friday, MMC arrived at the decision to increase sopo rate to Rs 10 per sq mtr for the vendors sitting in open areas and Rs 20 per sq mtr for those sitting in the covered area. The existing sopo rates are Rs 5 sq mtr (open area) and Rs 10 per sq mtr (covered area) respectively.
It was also decided to auction the sopo contract to collect the fees (sopo) from the vendors, who sell their goods during the Milagres feast and the Bogdeswar zatra. The initial bid for the Milagres feast and Bodgeswar zatra has been fixed at Rs 3.5 lakh and Rs 2 lakh respectively. The highest bidder will be allotted the sopo contract.
MMC Chairperson Sandeep Falari said the hearse van belonging to the council has gone very old and breaks down frequently and MMC has requested the Director of Municipal Administration to release grants to purchase a new hearse van.
Falari further said that there are 21 anganwadis in the jurisdiction of MMC and they are getting rent of Rs 750 from the government. The anganwadis have requested MMC to offer them financial assistance of Rs 750, as it is not possible to get premises at Rs 750 per month in Mapusa. After discussions, it was agreed to offer financial assistance to the angadwadis.
Adv Subhash Narvekar brought to the notice of the chairperson that it was decided in the council meeting to allot equal space to fish vendors, but this is not being done.
“The MMC workers in the fish market should be rotated as I have received complains that some MMC workers have started demanding bribes from fish vendors for space allocation,” said Adv Narvekar. Falari assured to look into the matter.
