TEAM HERALD
PONDA: The Ponda vegetable market was shut down for the second time in two weeks, as vendors staged a market bandh and later proceeded to the Ponda police station to protest against the harassment by the Ponda Municipal Council (PMC).
Ponda Police Inspector C L Patil met the protesting vendors and explained to them that some of the vendors had been summoned to the police station, following a complaint against them by the PMC, as a precautionary measure to desist from taking law into their hands.
PI Patil appealed to the PMC and the market vendors to hold talks and amicably resolve the issue.
AAP leader and social worker Swati Kerkar, who is supporting the vendors since their agitation began, told PI Patil that the PMC had not held talks with the vendors so far and requested him to take an initiative in this regard.
Human Rights activist John Mascarenhas, who had collected documents on the issue under Right to Information Act, later submitted the documents to PI Patil.
“As per the Municipal Act, a member representing the vendors on Ponda Vendors Committee should be elected by vendors, but this was not done by the PMC,” claimed Mascarenhas.
Meanwhile, leader of the vendors, Kishore Mamlekar told reporters that he and other vendors, who had been summoned before the additional collector (north Goa) returned to Ponda as the additional collector had not reported to duty and they were asked to remain present on September 18.
“The vendors will pay only Rs 6 per sq. mtrs in the entire market area and that too, the tax will be paid directly to the PMC,” said Mamlekar.
“We had asked the vendors in the fish market not to shut down their business as fish is a perishable product and since the bandh was declared at the last moment, after we had received notices from the police on Wednesday evening.
When asked why they along with the PMC were not holding talks to resolve the issue, Mamlekar replied, “We are ready for talks, but the PMC should take the initiative and they have not done this so far. This is the fifth time that we are agitating on the streets.”
Later in the evening, the vendors reopened their stalls after considering the needs of the people who are preparing for Ganesh festival.
