MARGAO: Opposition continues to mount against the plans announced by Chairman of the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA), Krishna ‘Daji’ Salkar, regarding the temporary closure of the wholesale fish market at Fatorda and its relocation to the Verna industrial estate for six months.
Both the wholesale traders and the fishing community have strongly opposed this move, which they say will hurt their business and livelihood badly.
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In Margao, one of the fishermen groups met senior advocate Anacleto Viegas who met the authorities concerned, including the Margao Municipal Council (MMC), urging the government to rescind this decision.
Goenchea Raponkarancho Ekvott (GRE) General Secretary Olencio Simoes also criticised the government for failing to take the fishermen into consideration before making and imposing this decision on them. He questioned why the fishing community was not consulted or informed.
He added that the fishermen will not leave the original wholesale fish market until they are shown the alternative and the arrangements.
Simoes also questioned the move to Verna, which he said is at some distance from the existing market site and added there is no guarantee that this temporary arrangement will last for six months only.
Moreover, Simoes said it was the fishing community that fought to get the land acquired by the government at the present site so that there is a dedicated wholesale fish market for the South Goa fishermen.
He also recalled that Salkar had promised to show the fishing community the layout of the proposed under-construction new wholesale fish market at Fatorda, but had not done so till date.
