MARGAO: The first phase of the under construction wholesale fish market at Fatorda will be completed and handed over to the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) by August 15, Krishna Daji Salkar, Chairman of the SGPDA said here on Monday.
Salkar also said that some of the major issues related to the management of the market have been resolved and the retail market vendors have agreed for a hike in sopo fees.
Salkar admitted that the Authority had failed in keeping the retail market owned by SGPDA cleaned in the past, but assured that now they have initiated the works and the retail market will be cleaned. He also distributed garbage bins to the retail market and fish cutting centre on Monday.
It may be recalled that SGPDA has been criticized by the vendors and the public, besides some political leaders for not keeping the retail fish market clean and safe.
Vendors too had demanded for a clean market and all the basic facilities, including regular water supply, before hiking sopo fees.
Speaking to reporters, Salkar said that it is also the responsibility of the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) to clean the garbage and drains at regular intervals, instead of blaming the SGPDA.
“Taking into consideration the pathetic conditions of the drains in the market, it looks like they were not cleaned since its inception. Now, we have already started the work and it will be cleaned in the next couple of days,” he assured.
According to Salkar, SGPDA is now liability free as it has cleared the pending electricity and water bills amounting to almost Rs 1.24 lakh.
“In the last two years, the SGPDA has generated revenue of nearly Rs 36 lakh from the annual feast fair on the open ground owned by the authority, whereas in the past it was hardly Rs 3 lakh per fair. But, SGPDA gets only Rs 10 as a sopo fee from the vendors of the retail market, which we have decided to hike and the vendors have agreed,” he said.
With regard to the wholesale fish market, he said that the first phase of construction of the wholesale fish market at Fatorda is almost completed and it will be handed over to the SGPDA by the GSIDC by August 15.
“The government may float the tender with regard to sopo collection at any moment as SGPDA has completed the process. It will be an open tender,” said Salkar
