MARGAO: With just days to go before the proposed Jan uary 23 opening of the re developed Margao whole sale fish market, attention has turned to whether the South Gon Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) is finally ready to operatimalise a facility that has remained unused for nearly a year despite its completion.
The opening date was finalised at a recent meet ing of the SGPDA chaired by its chairman and MLA Krishna Duji Salkar, attend ed by members including MLAs Vijai Sardesai and Aleba Reginaldo Lourenco, The decision followed the completion of long-pending formalities related to the appointment of agencies re sponsible for maintenance, cleaning and sanitation at the market complex.
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The wholesale fish market, constructed by the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC), was completed in January last year However, the facility remained non-operational even as several deadlines for its inauguration were an nounced and mised, raising questions over the prolonged debey despite the infrastruc ture being ready for use.
According to Salkar, the authority had earlier held back the opening after elected representatives from Margao and Fatorda insisted that the SGPDA first ensure the appointment of agencies for upkeep and sanitation before allowing operations to begin. With three agencies now in place to handle maintenance and cleanliness, the authority has indicated that the market is ready to be opened. Even as preparations are underway to begin operations, key aspects of the project remain unresolved, Among them in the future of Phase II of the redevelop ment, which includes a cold storage facility intended primarily for the benefit of traditional fhhermen. The project was funded by the Centre with specific objec tives, inchiding the provi sion of cold storage infrastructure. The SGPDA has indicated that the issue of Phase II will be taken up in discus-sions with Michael Lobo, the chairman of the Gon State Infrastructure Devel opment Corporation. These deliberations are expected to consider requests from traders seeking open space within the market complex to ease congestion, while also ensuring that the pro ject does not deviate from the specifications under which control funding was sanctioned.
Saikar has maintained that any decision on the second phase will have to balance stakeholder de mands with adherence to the original project objec tives.
Meanwhile, the question of sopo collection at the wholesale fish market re-mains unsettled. Despite earlier allegations of irregu larities and directions from the High Court, the SGPDA has not yet flaalised a ten der for sopo collection. Explaining the delay Salkar said the initial ten der process ran into objec tions after bidders raised concerns over a clause re quiring experience in the fishing business. Although the clause was later re moved, the tender could not be concluded due to ob jections over the rates as sessed by the Public Works Department. The authority now decided to ficat a fresh tender for sopo fee collection by the end of lan-wary
In addition, the SGPDA is planning a major re-vamp of the Margao retail fish market. A proposal seeking a one-time grant from the government has already been moved, with retail vendors being urged to contribute substantially towards daily upkeep and maintenance once the re-vamp is taken up.
As the proposed opening date approaches, the rede veloped wholesale fish mar ket remains under scrutiny with expectations that the facility will finally become operational while pending issues related to expansion, management and revenue collection are addressed.
