PANJIM: Revenue Minister and Panjim MLA Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate on Friday confronted the Congress leaders who visited Dona Paula Jetty to know the issue of local vendors.
Monserrate asked the opposition leaders not to portray as if only they are for the people.
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“Do not even suggest that I have not resolved the issue. We are looking into it. Focus on your constituencies,” he told the Congress leaders comprising Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao and MLAs Adv Carlos Alvares Ferreira and Altone D’Costa and Congress president Amit Patkar.
Later, speaking to reporters, Monserrate claimed that the issue of the locals had been resolved. The fact is that the stalls are not ready yet and they need to be put in place. It is part of the tender that as far as tourists are concerned, certain fees would be collected from them, he said.
Monserratesaid as far as business is concerned, no outsider will be allowed there. He alleged that the Dona Paula jetty vendors issue has been politicised by the opposition parties.
“They (opposition) are trying to show as if only they are concerned for the people. Only they are looking at the interest of the Goans and others are not. It is the grass which suffers when two elephants fight. So I don’t want the people to suffer,” he said.
On the other hand, Alemao alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is trying to harass common people.
“These vendors have been doing business for the last 50 years. They were doing good business but they were shifted under the pretext of Covid-19 pandemic. Earlier they were getting a good number of customers but the situation has changed now. They complained to the Tourism Minister but nothing was done,” he said
Aldona MLA Adv Ferreira said they visited the jetty to show solidarity with the local people. “We support them and will demand that the government ensures that demands of the locals are met,” he said.
CCP ward councillor Nelson Cabral who was also present brought to the notice of the Minister that the government had notified the Dona Paula jetty area as hawking zone and demanded to know how the government can enter into a contract without denotifying the hawking zone. He said that 76 vendors were asked to vacate the jetty area on the pretext of repairing it and that they have now been left in the lurch.
Cabral also pointed out that the GTDC is trying to relocate the displaced vendors in survey number 254/1, which is situated near Rosary High School, Dona Paula.
