MARGAO: A group of concerned citizens of Margao led by Savio Coutinho and Jose Maria Miranda presented a memorandum to MMC Chairperson Babita Angle to lodge a strong protest against the unprovoked assault on journalist Gary Azavedo by an illegal hawker and her husband, on July 4, in front of comunidade building.
The delegation demanded that all footpaths and road widening areas be cleared of all encroachments and be kept free for pedestrian movement, more particularly the footpaths and areas around the comunidade building, where there is a bus stop and two-wheeler parking, as they impede free movement of people availing of these facilities.
Commenting on the assault, the delegation stated they look at this audacious attack as an emboldened act by illegal vendors who due to inefficiency and perhaps complicity of MMC and their employees, think that it is their right to occupy footpaths and roadside areas to sell their wares.
The chairperson was also reminded about a near similar humiliation in the past when a vendor had abused her in her chamber. They stated that, after the incident, the chairperson had appealed to Madgaokars “for solidarity to fight the menace”, and Madgaokars fully supported her expecting sincere attempts to curb this menace. “Yet, the MMC has been lenient or perhaps supportive of such illegalities,” they said.
Babita has expressed the need for immediately planning shift duties for the workers so that the town can be manned even during wee hours of the day. “The city is growing and so are the hawkers and vendors. Planning shift duty is the only option to keep the town clean,” Babita said.
