PONDA: Ponda market vendors are up in arms over the government’s failure to clear the footpaths of illegal vendors alleging that government officials are encouraging illegalities.
Ponda Market Vendors Association leader Kishore Mamlekar said that in the past they agitated several times demanding that the footpaths in Ponda be cleared but no action has been initiated as yet.
“Due to the inaction of government officials we will be forced to take the law in our own hands,” he said.
Leveling allegations against Ponda Dy Superintendent of Police and PMC Chief Officer, Mamlekar said, they are responsible for fresh encroachments on footpaths in Ponda market, streets etc.
He said that illegal vendors are not only eating into their business in the market but are also disrupt the free flow of customers to the market by occupying parking space, forcing people to park their vehicles on the road leading to traffic congestion.
Mamlekar said government officials are also involved in attempting to split their association by misleading them on their market problems and sopo issues.
He cited an example of how DySP Sunita Sawant, PMC Chief Officer Johnson Fernandis called around 13 market vendors to Margao for a meeting with the SP.
“The vendors were told not to agitate on the issue and assured action within two days but almost two months later there is no sign of the footpaths being cleared,” he said.
Mamlekar also demanded that PMC immediately shift around 93 legal vendors to the new market complex as per the council resolution in 2009.
He said that presently the vendors are sitting within a makeshift arrangement as they were assured of shifting to the new premises once they were completed.
“The vendors had moved the court on the issue but PMC assured us they will shift to new complex and so withdraw the petition,” he said.
