PANJIM: Owners of business establishments on the streets around the Garcia da Orta garden faced a harrowing time on Tuesday as the Panjim fair blocked access to their shops.
Bhalchandra Wagle, a trader in clothing material said the traditional fair on the feast of the Immaculate Conception has been taken over by hawkers who are outsiders. “There is no access for our customers, goods cannot be delivered at our shops due to the roads being blocked. For these three to four days we face a huge loss,” Wagle said.
This is not the first time the businessmen are facing this problem, but said this is the third year. Last year the traders had made a representation to the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) on the issue, but it was not considered and the fair vendors have been allowed to sit on both sides of the roads blocking the access to the business establishments. The fair will continue for at least three days.
The traders who have been there for decades face a loss in business, are troubled by noise pollution and lack of hygiene. The hawkers cook, eat, sleep on the footpaths in front of the shops, even as the kiosks selling eatables add to the menace.
Most of the traders complained about the pollution and the loss of business as there is no access and no parking nearby due to the hawkers.
Suresh Kawlekar, another trader, said they are not opposing the feast and the fair but questioned how the fair vendors were allowed to sit on both sides of the road.
“We are established traders and we have been paying all taxes to the CCP. It’s high time the judiciary intervened and took this as a suo moto case,” Kawlekar said.
Traders all around the garden said they face this problem during Carnival and Ganesh Chaturthi as well and suggested that these fairs be held elsewhere.
They also pointed out that earlier the only stalls at the fair were those selling traditional items including sweets, nuts and some handmade household items but in the last few years hawkers have been selling various other items also.
