MARGAO: South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) Chairperson Dr Renuka D’Silva while calling for a joint meeting on January 11 to thrash out the problem of retail sale at the wholesale fish market assured the Goan fisher folk who called on her on Thursday that the gate at the market would not be closed till the meeting takes place.
Goan fishermen including ramponkars called on her on Thursday to protest against the closing of the two gates to the market at 9 am on grounds that the wholesale fish market is to close down at 9 am. “You cannot fix a time to sell fish as it is sold by the ramponkars as and when they get a catch,” said Liberada Fernandes, a 78-year-old woman whose sons are ramponkars while she sells the fish in the market.
“Sometimes the ramponkars get only 5 baskets of fish that they bring to sell at the market and that cannot be termed as retail sale,” said John Fernandes representing the fishing community.
However, Dr Renuka explained to them that the gate was put only to prevent retail sale of fish which she said has to be stopped at the whole sale market. After listening to their grievances, she said she would hold a meeting on January 11 at 11.30 am with the fishing community and also the Margao Municipal Council to sort out the issue.
It may be recalled that Town and Country Planning Minister after visiting the wholesale fish market on October 3, 2017 had instructed that the retail sale of fish at the market must be stopped and had said that ramponkars be allowed to sell their catch at the market.
The point of contention appears to be the identification of retail sale. The local fishing community asserts that migrants are the only ones selling fish in retail at the wholesale market. However, as ramponkars are selling fish in smaller quantities they too are considered to be selling fish in retail.
Opining that anybody selling less than 5 kgs of fish is indulging in retail sale, Dr Renuka and said the whole situation needs to be studied when it was pointed out that five people together purchase 5 kgs of fish and distribute it amongst themselves which also amounts to retail sale.
