Team Herald
MARGAO: Stating that 60 percent of work on the first phase of the new Wholesale Fish Market at Madel is complete, Chairman of the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) Krishna alias Daji Salkar told Herald that they would soon take a decision on shifting the market to a temporary location.
On Friday, Salkar and SGPDA officials, with PI Gautam Salunke of the Traffic Cell, Margao, and PI Girendra Naik, Fatorda Police Station inspected the wholesale fish market, where cleaning work was underway. Salkar said the SGPDA would have to spend nearly Rs 1.5 crore just to shift the wholesale fish market on a temporary basis, which will be a waste of money.
“We have witnessed the unhygienic conditions of the market; even the stretch outside the market, and the sides of the road are a mess,” he admitted.
During the inspection, he said that the market would not be as dirty if the area was tarred. “We have also instructed the traffic police to take strict action against the parking of fish-vehicles on the roadside, besides requesting the Margao Municipality to crack whip on the people creating a mess outside the market,” said Salkar.
Reacting to the demands from traditional fishermen to reduce their sopo tax, Salkar said, “Earlier, we had reduced the fee from Rs 500 to Rs 250, and also from Rs 300 to Rs 200, and still they claim it is too high for them. I will anyhow take this issue up at the board meeting,” he said.
Salkar said that the delay in appointing a contractor for the collection of sopo tax for the Wholesale Fish Market would be remedied in the next two months, and that the sopo gives them a revenue of Rs 12 to 13 lakh per month. The issue of sopo tax collection has been the reason behind clashes between fish traders, the previous sopo contractor and SGPDA officials, who have been collecting the sopo tax for the last few months.
