MARGAO: Major drama unfolded at the wholesale fish market owned by the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) on Thursday morning after the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) and SGPDA officials carried out a drive to evict all the retail vendors selling fish at the wholesale market and on the public roads around it.
While both the MMC and SGPDA were acting upon the orders they had received from the High Court on Wednesday, the local fishing community were taken by surprise and held protests throughout the day, condemning the move to evict them.
Earlier in the day, the officials who supervised the drive stated that they were only following instructions they had received from their higher ups.
When the vendors demanded to see a copy of the HC order, they were sent to the SGPDA Member Secretary (MS) office. The vendors, who are Goans from various parts of South Goa, questioned what would happen to the fish they were to sell for the day and what would happen to their livelihoods if they are not allowed to sell fish here in the future.
With the MS not available all day, they had to wait till evening to meet the MS as well SGPDA Chairman, Vasco MLA Krishna Salkar and Margao MLA Digambar Kamat, who is a member of the SGPDA Board and in close contact with the MMC’s ruling council.
At this meeting, Agnelo Rodrigues, President, Goenchea Ramponkarancho Ekvott (GRE) first criticised the fact the authorities were labelling them illegal fish vendors and spoke about how this has been their trade for generations.
Rodrigues and others also pointed out that they were allowed to sell fish at the parking lot of the wholesale fish market given that the complex is under renovation, leading to space constraints. He reiterated that this permission was received from the SGPDA Chairman itself, albeit verbally.
The fishermen also vehemently opposed the rule that the market has to be closed from 10 pm onwards and said they have to reach the market as soon as their fishing boats arrive from sea, in order to keep the fish fresh and thus, the market premises should be available to them throughout the day.
The local fish vendors also hit back at accusations that they were responsible for garbage dumped at the site and said this was the fault of the trucks belonging to wholesale fish traders, and not the Goan fishing community.
They further added that these wholesale traders’ trucks from other States deliberately block most of the access to the market, as well inside the market grounds.
Rodrigues added that instead of taking action against them, the local community had been unfairly targeted.
Will consult advocate, find holistic solution: SGPDA Chairman to evicted vendors
MARGAO: Assuring that a ‘holistic solution’, suitable to the fish vendors and the public, would be sought in the matter, the Chairman of the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA), Krishna ‘Daji’ Salkar said they need to first consult with their legal advisor as they are bound to follow the order of the High Court. Salkar agreed to temporarily allow Goan fish vendors to use the parking area of the wholesale fish market to minimise inconvenience. Salkar acknowledged space constraints due to ongoing construction but anticipated more space availability once the first phase of the market is completed.
The SGPDA Chairman asked the vendors also to approach the HC and put forward their pleas and explain their situation so that the court can take cognisance of their plight as well. Salkar also stressed the importance of addressing citizens’ complaints about traffic congestion and the Margao Municipal Council’s concerns regarding garbage disposal near the market premises.
Regarding High Court directives on maintaining hygiene, Salkar said that the SGPDA regularly follows such practices.
He emphasised that they did not previously take action against local fish vendors, but their recent actions were in line with HC directives. Salkar pledged to consider the vendors’ input at the next SGPDA meeting and address their concerns about wholesale fish traders’ trucks.
