On Sunday, after cornering the Sarpanch over the issue, the Panchayat promised the residents that the current market will be renovated. On questioning the Sarpanch as to why no action was taken when a petition was filed earlier, he responded that the ownership papers of the building were not in the possession of the panchayat and it would be difficult to get necessary permissions to demolish the building and erect another in its place.
According to the Sarpanch, local MLA, Benjamin Silva is taking a keen interest to give government land to the Panchayat in order to build a new Panchayat house cum fish market but the lackadaisical attitude and false promises of the MLA and governing body in the village has irked the residents.
The Assolna fish market receives customers not only from surrounding villages, but from a lot of villages all over Salcette. The variety of fish available here is abundant and this attracts customers even from Canacona, Sanguem and Quepem. Fresh water fish and salt water fish like red snapper (Tamso), lady fish (Muddoshi), silver snapper (Chonak), pomfrets, lobsters, prawns and shell fish like mussels and oysters are available in plenty. The Assolna fish market has been a central market for the sale of fish since the Portuguese era.
But despite the status of the fish market, the condition is pathetic. Issues of hygiene and space plague the market more than anything else. This causes the local fishermen and women to conduct their business in a sub-standard environment and without proper facilities. Due to the lack of a proper shelter, the fisherfolk are forced to find whatever little place they can find and have to brave the heat of the sun, the cold, the rain and the dirt. The lack of proper sanitation and the lack of a gutter to dispose dirty water worsens the situation. This causes the entire area to be filled with a foul stench.
The plea to build a new market has been made for the past three decades but nothing concrete has been done yet to solve these issues. It is left to be seen whether the local MLA and the panchayat take heed of the villagers request and give in to their demands.
