MARGAO: Margao Municipal Council’s move to close the Pick-up stand at New market passage evoked strong reaction from new market traders, who took out a morcha to the municipal building on Thursday evening.
Led by Margao New Market Traders Association, Vinod Shirodkar, the traders bitterly protested over the MMC’s move and demanded demolition of the wall erected in the passage. They complained that the move will not only inconvenience the customers and pedestrians, but the same will permanently close the access for the traders to the toilet block.
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An agitated Shirodkar demanded to know from the Chief Officer, Sandhya Kamat how and why the Civic body came with the weird idea of closing the passage. He pointed out that the Civic body had been ignoring the just and genuine demands of the traders, including construction of an overhead tank for the purpose of fire fighting, toilet block near the pick-stand et al. “Our long pending demands have only received lip service from the city fathers and chief officers. Before the Chief Officers could implement the promises, they are shunted out of the Civic body”, he lamented.
Chief Officer Sandhya Kamat said the municipality opted for the option of closing the New Market’s middle passage near the toilet block in view of the unsanitary conditions prevailing there. “We have received representations from certain quarters that the area is used for urination and to answer nature’s call”, she said, and promised the traders to keep a small opening for the people to cross the passage.
