MARGAO: The New Market Traders Association has called on the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) to urgently carry out the repairs of dilapidated buildings of the market for the safety of the vendors and customers.
Association President Vinod Shirodkar pointed out that the roofs of the two-market buildings have started to leak with water entering into the shops.
The association members met MMC Chief Officer Rohit Kadam and Market Inspector in this regard. An inspection was also carried out and Kadam assured to carry out the temporary precautionary measures.
However, Shirodkar warned that small concrete patches of the building have already started to fall. He said, “There are shops on the ground floor, the owners or customers can get injured if these parts fall on them.”
He said that the water leaking from the building has already caused these vendors problems as their goods are getting wet and spoiled.
Shirodkar bemoaned the apathy on the part of the councillors who he said have ignored their plight not just now during the heavy rains but also earlier when the vendors suffered losses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On that note, Shirodkar took offence to the MMC councillors trying to get footpath vendors regularised.
He pointed out that these footpath vendors do not pay the same kind of licencing and other fees that the registered vendors across the jurisdiction of Margao and Fatorda pay.
He said, “They do not pay GST or Income Tax but just some nominal sopo amount.”
He said that if they are allowed to run their business by paying such a paltry fee, the new market vendors would protest in a big way as this would be a major injustice to them.
He reiterated that the vendors were never given any waiver during the COVID-19 pandemic despite their demands for the same and questioned how then is the MMC considering the demands of the footpath vendors on compassionate grounds.
