WEDNESDAY, MAY 08, 2024
PRATIK PARAB
MARGAO: On day one of market opening, 20 trucks were checked for formalin at the market point. But many more trucks were untested. Fish from these trucks were in turn sold to retailers and other fish sellers who in turn sent the stock to other markets. The remaining unsold fish was then iced and brought back to be sold the next day.
The Vice-President of the Margao Wholesale Fish traders Association Imam Shaikh admitted this, “All the trucks could not be checked on the first day. Some of them stock was picked up from the wholesale trucks, directly by retailers and sent to other markets. That stock was not tested.”(By the Quality Control of India team which is also stationed at the Polem check post)
He also said the fish still left over, was iced and brought back to the Margao wholesale market to be sold the next day. During that time this fish was tested.
The Association has earlier been on record claiming that 70% of the fish remains unsold at times. If that is the case, then on some days, even 70% of the unsold fish is actually sold the next day.
However, for the last 3 to 4 days, several small and medium-sized vehicles, which came to the market sold their fish outside the market and fled, leaving ambiguity in the minds of the people.
Selling outside the market areas does not come under the SGPDA. This area comes under MMC. At 2 and 3 am, there are no MMC officials to keep a tab on the trucks outside the market. The police have been told to keep an eye on the same but the effectiveness of the entire exercise is debatable.
On the first day of the market opening the SGPDA Chairman Wilfred D'sa said that 20 vehicles were tested and all 20 were found negative. The traders said that the fish tested negative reinstates the trust over the fish that comes to Goa and sold wholesale
But does it really? (Refer to our front page ground zero story from the Polem border in this edition.)
The Herald investigation at the border has revealed how the vehicles are let off without checking. Questions are also being raised on why the Quality Council employees who are in-charge of testing are conducting tests behind closed doors.
