MMC confiscates seven omelette pav handcarts

MMC confiscates seven omelette pav handcarts
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, AUG 19  
Margao’s roaring omelette pav business at the Old Bus Stand went missing on Thursday evening. Barring one or two, around seven handcarts selling omelette pav were found in the Margao municipal garden instead of the old bus stand.
Reason: The Margao Municipal Council attached these fast food kiosks following a requisition from the Margao Traffic Cell that the gaddas were causing obstruction to parking at the bus stand.
A team of municipal workers seized the gaddas kept at the bus stand this morning and brought them to the municipal garden. When news of the municipal action reached the gadda owners, they came rushing to the municipal body, but Chief Officer Y B Tawde refused to release the seized kiosks.
Instead, Tawde told the kiosk owners to approach the District Collector, South G P Naik saying that action against the fast food handcarts has been initiated upon orders from the district magistrate. Pleas by the kiosk owners that they will suffer loss if the gaddas are not released fell on deaf ears as the municipality stuck to its decision.
When contacted, Margao Traffic Cell incharge, PI Prabodh Shirwaikar told Herald that the action has been initiated against the handcarts since they were causing obstruction to parking at the bus stand. “The owners of these handcarts are not supposed to keep their carts at the bus stand, but are mandated to take them away to their place of residence”, he said, adding “the traffic police has no objection to the business activity if the handcarts are towed away from the bus stand every day after business hours”.
Though the sudden action has left the owners fuming, many in the civic body has questioned the police action, demanding to know whether similar action will be initiated against the non-Goan vendors carrying out business near traffic junctions and parking lots.
In fact, sources in the know said the police has questioned about the presence of dozens of fruit selling handcarts on the city road, causing traffic bottlenecks, especially during peak hours.