Inauguration of refurbished Margao retail fish market postponed to next Monday

MARGAO: The refurbished retail fish market at SGPDA market Margao will not be inaugurated on Monday but instead will be thrown open to the public on June 25 to coincide with the date when the market was initially inaugurated on June 25, 2001 and the vendors will have to contribute to the maintenance of the market while all users will be provided with a smart card.

Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardessai inspected the market on Sunday and reviewed the work. The ceiling is yet to be done and the stainless steel trays on which the fish will be displayed have just started arriving.

Besides, the electricity department is yet to fix the meters and there was a lot of work remaining to be completed. Asserting that they could inaugurate the market on Monday by speeding up the pending work, Vijai said in deference to the wishes of the vendors who would like to enter the market on the same date they had entered in 2001, the inauguration was fixed for that date.

Vijai admitted that there were some pending works that were beyond his or the South Goa Planning and Development Authority’s control like the fixing of the meters by the electricity department.

While pointing out that maintenance has to be done, he said the SGPDA would appoint a permanent supervisor who will ensure that the market is kept clean and no other activities will be undertaken there.

He also directed the SGPDA officials to provide a master card to all legitimate users of the retail fish market including the fish cutters and cleaners and also the market cleaning staff to ensure that only authorized people occupy the market and keep away stray elements.

“We shall also have to have weekly cleaning of the market with jet hoses for which we shall invite tenders shortly,” he said adding that security will be provided and discussing this with Fish Market Vendors President Felix Gonsalves, he said the users would have to contribute to the maintenance.

While there will be one electricity meter for a block that will be used by four or five vendors, the SGPDA will bear the water bill and also pay for the supervisor, security guards and also the cleaning agency. “Given the fact that the secretary has asked what will be revenue generated by the market, at least the maintenance cost has to be shared and the vendors will have to chip in for that,” he said.

“One will be able to enter the market with the best of shoes as we have designed this on the lines of the fish market in Dubai,” he said and said the colours and specially the motif on the ceiling gives it a Goan look.

He also inspected the fish cutting and cleaning facilities set up across the road and told the fish cutters and cleaners that they would have to maintain cleanliness and also pay towards the maintenance. He demanded that the partitions erected for fish cutters be removed as that was their demand. He also directed that all fish cleaners be permitted to operate there as some complained that they were not included in the list.

In all the SGPDA has spent around Rs. 2 crore to refurbish the retail market that will house 144 vendors and there are 16 fish cutters and 22 fish cleaners. 

Vendors were to be provided with one storage box but following a demand for an additional one Vijai directed that they be given two boxes. “Nobody will be allowed to block a place and claim that he is not using his stall. If anybody is found not using, he shall be evicted and that place will be given to someone else,” said Vijai.