01 Jul 2020  |   05:33am IST

HC directs SGPDA to re-open fish market within 7-10 days

HC directs SGPDA to re-open  fish market within 7-10 days

Team Herald


PANJIM: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has directed the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) to re-open the wholesale fish market within 7-10 days. 

During the hearing on Tuesday, the SGPDA sought for time citing maintenance but the Division Bench granted maximum 10 days to complete the pending work. 

The Court has also asked the Food and Drugs Administration to conduct regular tests of the fish arriving at the market. 

In the last hearing on June 26, the High Court had asked the SGPDA to finalise date on the re-opening of the wholesale fish market by June 30. 

The counsel representing SGPDA A D Bhobe had last week submitted to the Court that the authority is due to meet shortly in order to decide the precise date from which the wholesale fish market would be actually open for operations. The submission seeking time was made on Tuesday citing maintenance. 

The Minutes of the Special Meeting held on June 23, 2020 on the issue of guidelines for the opening and operation of the wholesale fish market at Margao was handed over to the Court. 

Advocate for the petitioner Margao Wholesale Fish Market Association Dattaprasad Lawande stated that they have complied with every single condition referred to in the notice dated May 12, 2020 issued by the SGPDA except for one condition. 

He submitted that there is no concept of registration of vehicles with the Directorate of Fisheries and Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and that the FDA has set up inspection units at Pollem and Patradevi and at these inspecting units, the FDA inspects the fish particularly to trace the presence of formalin or other impermissible chemicals. 

He had said that once there is a clearance from the FDA, the particular condition can said to have been substantially complied with.


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