MARGAO: The wholesale fish market at Margao, only of its kind in Goa, is definitely going to be shifted so that work on the second phase of its construction can start and this would happen most probably after the monsoons going by the hints dropped by Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardessai.
It may be recalled that foundation stone for a proper whole sale market was laid on June 12, 2018 and this Rs 12.89 crore project is to be undertaken in two phases. In the first phase estimated at Rs 86 lakh will have the market leveled and a proper compound wall constructed covering the 10,000 sq mts of land.
In the second phase, the actual wholesale fish market will be constructed along with the waste treatment plant. The wholesale market will have two distinct sections – one for inter-state fish sellers and the other for intra-state sellers.
While in the new wholesale market provision is made for one bay having 26 outlets for wholesalers coming from other States to sell their catch, there are two bays provided for intrastate wholesale fish vendors of which one is likely to be allotted to the ramponkars.
In the present wholesale fish market at Madel, an elevated platform is provided for the interstate wholesale fish vendors while the local vendors sell their catch along with the ramponkars by keeping the fish in either baskets or boxes on the ground.
Vijai said the existing wholesale fish market will have to be relocated to give the contractor space to build the market. “Government has acquired land around the market which however is being cultivated by some people and we shall have to take them into confidence,” he said.
It may be recalled that government has acquired the adjoining land for Information Technology and the Transport Department has acquired land to set up the truck terminus which was opposed by the locals and never materialized.
It appears that the wholesale fish market will be shifted to one of these plots when the actual work of constructing the new wholesale fish market commences.
