Illegal Vendors Return to Sadekar Lane; Margao Market Traders Demand Strong MMC Action

Registered ven dors from the Margao Mu nicipal Market have once again raised the alarm over the return of illegal ven dors at Sadekar Lane and surrounding areas, alleging that renewed encroach ments are blocking custom er access and causing sig nificant losses to their daily business. The issue, which O Her aldo had highlighted just a few days ago, continues to frustrate registered trad ers who say municipal ac tion has been temporary and ineffective. Earlier this week, several market vendors submitted a mem orandum to the Margao Municipal Council (MMC), drawing attention to how unlicenced vendors had occupied footpaths, lanes, and entry points leading to the market. Their com plaint pushed MMC Chief Officer Madhu Narvekar to conduct an inspection, fol lowing which the stretch was briefly cleared. However, vendors re port that the situation has quickly slipped back to its previous condition. According to them, the illegal vendors returned shortly after the inspec tion team left, once again setting up stalls on pe destrian pathways and narrowing access routes for customers. President of the Gandhi Market vendors association Rajendra Ajgaonkar ex pressed frustration at the recurring cycle. “Each time MMC clears the encroachments, the il legal vendors come back almost immediately. Cus tomers cannot reach our shops because the lanes are blocked. We pay taxes and comply with rules, yet we are the ones suffering,” he said. Vendors argue that the lack of sustained enforce ment encourages unau thorised sellers to reclaim the space without fear of penalties. They say occa sional clearance drives are insufficient and only cre ate temporary order, while the root problem continues unchecked. The traders are now urging MMC to take long-term, consistent action—through regular monitoring, stricter en forcement, and penalties for repeat offenders. They stress that only per manent clearance and con tinuous oversight will re store smooth access to the market, ensure fair com petition, and protect the livelihoods of registered businesses. With customers increas ingly complaining about the congestion and ven dors warning of further disruptions, the traders have called on the munici pal authorities to intervene decisively before the issue escalates again.