NT NETWORK
MAPUSA
The traders at Mapusa market, under the banner of Mapusa Merchants Association, observed a half-day bandh on Monday against the “irregularities” at the market. The bandh was also supported by the fish and vegetable vendors. No shops and business establishments were open.
The traders with the support extended by vegetable and fish vendors marched to the Mapusa Municipality building from the market demanding action against the “irregularities”. They shouted slogans against the MMC and market committee chairman Franky Carvalho.
As the protestors approached the municipal building, police personnel attached to Mapusa police station stopped them at the building entrance.
The mamlatdar Dasharath Gawas and PI Rajan Prabhudessai asked the association members to form a delegation to meet the MMC chairperson Sandip Falari and put up their grievances. Accordingly, a delegation of some members in presence of Gawas and Prabhudessai met Falari and raised their grievances.
Chairman of Mapusa Merchants Association Ashish Shirodkar submitted a three-point memorandum and said, “Unfortunately it has been almost one year’s time that we have been raising our issues but till date nothing has happened. Our problems of regularisation of vending activities, parking issues and maintenance of municipal market are yet to be addressed. The market is only used as a source for collection of revenue.”
He further said, “Open spaces in the market are being encroached upon by daily vendors as a result our premises are blocked hence shop owners are left with no option but to display items outside the premises and then MMC staff targets us.”
However, Falari said, “The allegation of scam in sopo collection is baseless. The calculation being done by merchants is wrong as sopo of Rs 10 per square metre is not applicable to all vendors. The vendors in shed premises pay a sopo of Rs 20 per square metre and we have vendors who mostly operate in more than a square metre area. Moreover we have more vendors on Friday bazaar and Sunday in addition we have special market for festival hence the amount is quoted as Rs 1 crore.”
Falari appealed them to give eight days time to the council to act against illegalities. However, merchants refused to disburse and demanded immediate action and continued to shout slogans. Later the accountant-cum-administrative officer Bhanudas Naik addressed the merchants and assured that he would visit the municipal market at 4 pm and conduct inspection and only then the vendors disbursed from the municipality. As promised at 4 pm a joint inspection was carried out by Naik in presence of merchants association and police.
Later in the evening, Falari addressing media persons said, “The only option to control vending activities is through Town vending committee which the council has formed but unfortunately periodical meetings have not been held as a result we cannot do anything. We had proposed to issue identify card for vendors, even the specimen has been made but we cannot implement it as it has not been approved by town vending committee hence I have been behind all chief officers to hold meeting but due to various reasons it is not happening.”