TEAM HERALD
bureau@herald-goa.com
VASCO: The meeting convened by South Goa Collector N D Agarwal on a PIL filed by Dr Shantaram M Lawande and others with regarding a restriction in the Vasco Saptah stalls witnessed pandemonium, as some people insisted on the 10-day fair.
Chief Officer Y B Tavde said Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) had taken into consideration the complaint of Dr Lawande and others, which has been converted into PIL, and has decided to streamline the stalls.
“This year, the stalls will be according to item-wise and the Swantantra Path road will be opened for traffic after seven days. However, emergency services like fire tenders and ambulances will be kept standby to tackle any untoward situation,” said Tavde.
“The fair will be monitored with the help of CCTV cameras and there will be round-the-clock security services monitoring the movements of the crowd,” he informed.
When former MMC chairperson Milton Barretto sought to know about the quality of water used by food stall owners as in the past years they used to use water from the MMC well to cook eatables, Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida said this year tanks filled with PWD water will be made available at regular intervals.
The petitioner, Dr Lawande, said they are not averse to the religious function but complained that they are subjected to hardship due to the Saptah fair. “Closure of the road started from 1978 with increase in the number of stalls,” he said.
Speaking to reporters, Dr Lawande said the petitioners were not against the religious ceremony, but were against the increase in number of stalls which cause a lot of hardship to the residents.
Dr Shailesh Kamat, another petitioner, said they would not have any objection if stalls are erected in an organised manner and people don’t face hardship.
Almeida said he was aware that the citizens are facing hardship due to increase in the number of the stalls. “Some solution has to be found out so that citizens do not suffer because of the stalls. The Saptah is celebrated by all the communities in Vasco and we should live in harmony,” Almeida said.
