MARGAO: The vendors who have put stalls for the Margao feast fair, which includes the Goan carpenter community, are upset with the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) for harassing them and trying to unfairly evict them.
Reportedly, the dispute between the MMC and the stall owners began on Sunday, the first day of the fair. The vendors who have put up the stalls on SGPDA grounds had already paid a total sum of Rs 8 lakh to the SGPDA contractor, while the MMC officials were trying to take action against them for alleged encroachments—a charge the vendors were denying on account of the fees they paid.
On Monday, a meeting was convened at the MMC with the representatives, which failed to arrive to any amicable agreement.
Later, MMC officials started measuring the size of each stall and issued show cause notices to the vendors and asked them to pay the fees due to MMC or face action.
The vendors questioned why they were being forced to pay to two authorities—the SGPDA and the MMC.
Moreover, the vendors pointed out that in the past they used to pay a basic fee to the MMC which ranged from Rs 500-1000 but this time MMC was asking each vendor to pay over Rs 4,000.
