MARGAO: There was a furore at the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) wholesale fish market in Margao on Sunday morning over the presence of bouncers at the market premises during the collection of sopo tax from the traders and fishermen.
Questions were raised on bringing bouncers when the police itself could be called to supervise the exercise of sopo tax collection.
Sunday morning saw a dispute not just over the bouncers but also on the amount of sopo tax that was being charged. The aggrieved traders and fishermen asked for the order which would confirm that the SGPDA was charging Rs 3,000 as sopo tax.
They added that this was important as it should not be the case where they are paying such an amount to a third party, which is not going to the SGPDA.
“There should be a record or a written order that shows that the person collecting the sopo is from the SGPDA and this is the rate given by the SGPDA. There should be proper accountability of the tax collected as well as it shouldn’t be the case where the money we pay to the authority is being pocketed by someone else,” said a trader.
Reportedly, the SGPDA had recently signed and then suspended a contract with a labour supply agent where the Authority was to receive 8-9 labourers to assist with the sopo collection processes as well as the maintenance of the market.
