Team Herald
PONDA: Irked Ponda market vendors gheraoed Ponda Municipal Council (PMC) Chairperson and Chief Officer on Tuesday over the issues of blockade of entrance passage to the market and footpath vendors eating away their business.
PMC Chairperson Geetali Talavalikar assured to clear the pathway by Friday.
It may be recalled the digging for the construction of slab for the final phase of PMC Market Complex began recently. However, it blocked the access of customers to the vegetable market which irked the vendors operating in the market. Thus, with no customers since past one month after the slab work began, the vendors protested demanding to clear access to wards market shed.
They said around 300 vendors were sitting idle after access to the vegetable market closed on account of construction of final phase of a new market complex.
The vendors told PMC Chief Officer and Chairperson that they are not against construction of slab and ramp for the market project but while doing this work the digging and construction work totally blocked the pathway of customers to vegetable market due to which they are having no customers and they are just paying daily “solo” without any customers.
They requested to keep open some pathway towards the vendors operating market shed.
The vendors also said that the entire footpath of Ponda market is encroached illegally by vendors, eating the business of vendors operating at shed of municipal Market.
The vendors demanded to clear encroachment on the footpath and make a parking space.
The Chief Officer and Chairperson Geetali heard to vendors’ grievances and promised them that the pathway towards market shed will be cleared by Friday.
With regard to second demand, the Chief Officer told the vendors that the footpath vendors issue would be solved as per Street Vending Act and the PMC will also frame by laws to sort out footpath vending issue.
