Traditional fishermen and boat owners from Vasco to Betul have raised serious concerns over alleged extortion practices at the SGPDA (South Goa Planning and Development Authority) wholesale fish market. During a meeting with Vijay Sardesai today, the fishermen claimed that SGPDA has unexpectedly doubled the fees charged at the market, without any official resolution supporting such an increase.
The boat owners expressed frustration over the sudden hike, emphasizing that it was imposed without prior consultation or proper approval. "This is an issue that needs immediate attention. The government must intervene and take action to prevent this extortion. These are our Goan traditional fishermen who are being unfairly targeted," said Sardesai, highlighting the unfair burden being placed on local workers.
The concerns echo those previously raised by the Wholesale Traders’ Association, which also accused the SGPDA of extorting excessive fees. Vijay Sardesai clarified that, to his knowledge, there had been no official resolution passed by the SGPDA to increase the fees for wholesale fish traders. He mentioned that the only resolution taken in the past was related to raising fees for the retail market, not the wholesale market.
In addition to the increased fees at SGPDA, fishermen have also pointed out that the municipality’s sopo contractor is charging additional fees for parking vehicles outside the market, further compounding their financial burden.
Following these concerns, the fishermen and boat owners had a meeting with the member secretary and held telephonic discussions with the chairman of SGPDA. The chairman has promised to address the issues raised during a scheduled meeting on the evening of April 10.
However, the fishermen have warned that if the SGPDA persists with the increased fees, they will not allow the market to operate. The ongoing tensions have sparked a demand for immediate government intervention to resolve the matter and protect the interests of traditional fishermen.
Jose Philip D'Souza, a former minister, stated, "We have now been guaranteed that our vehicles will incur a charge of Rs 150 per hour." Meanwhile, Savio Dsilva, a fisherman, mentioned that no receipts have been given for the payments made.