MAPUSA: The Mapusa market traders will keep their establishments shut during the first half of the day on February 27, to take out a morcha to Mapusa Municipality to meet the chairperson.
While addressing the media on Friday, Mapusa Market Association President Ashish Shirodkar said, “The municipality alleges that the shop owners allow street vendors to squat in front of their shops, but truth is that it is the market inspectors who allow these street vendors.”
Stating that annually, the municipality collects Rs 2.75 crore as rent from shops and Rs 75 lakh as trade licence, Shirodkar asked, “So, even after paying so much money as rent and fees, why we will allow street vendors to sit in front of our shops to affect our business?”
Besides the amount paid to the MMC, shop owners pay around Rs 1 crore to the government, monthly, he said.
Shirodkar alleged that many street vendors are doing business in the market without licence and the number keeps growing by the day.
“Spots are being sold by the sopo collectors to the street vendors who store their stocks in the open space even at night,” he complained.
The morcha is planned to press for protection of the authorised traders from the alleged harassment of illegal vendors in the market.
