MARGAO, APR 23
Margao Municipal New Market Traders on Friday made a forceful demand to the civic body redress the long pending demands including repairs for the dilapidated market building before the onset of monsoons.
Exasperated over the dilly dally tactics adopted by the civic body, the traders, led by Margao New Market Traders Association president Vinod Shirodkar, conveyed a message loud and clear to the Civic Chairperson Savio Coutinho and the Municipal babus that this is their last meeting with the municipal authorities before they resort to direct action.
Shirodkar impressed upon Coutinho and newly-appointed Chief Officer Y B Tawde to take up repairs of the building before the onset of monsoons. He raised the contentious issue of issuing trade license and power connections to the traders as per the instructions of Chief Minister, Digambar Kamat. “The traders have already submitted list of applications for trade licenses and power connections. We are disturbed over the inordinate delays to clear the applications”, the traders told the municipal chairperson.
On the question of encroachments in the New Market, Shirodkar said the municipal authorities are free to initiate action against the illegalities, but at the same time sought action against big time builders for violating the parking provisions with impunity. “Let the Municipal Council apply the same yardstick to the small time traders and big time businessmen”, he said.
Referring to the recent fire incidents in the market area, Shirodkar further demanded that the civic body take up the matter of fire hydrants with the concerned authorities.
The MMC chairperson later told newsmen that the traders have been asked to submit the list of applications for trade license, adding the council should not have any problem to issue trade license to the original lessee.
“We will scrutinize each and every case before the trade license is issued to the traders”, he said.
