MAPUSA
The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) raid on the wholesale fish market in Margao had a ripple effect, on Thursday, with Mapusa fish market remaining shut for the first half of the day.
Goan’s staple diet, however, was available in plenty later in the evening after FDA gave a clean chit to the fish consignment.
Most of the fish vendors in Mapusa, who mostly depend on the Margao wholesale market for their fish consignment during the monsoon, failed to get their quota after the FDA disallowed sale of “contaminated” fish in Margao.
The initial examination conducted by the FDA at the site found presence of formalin, a cancer-inducing chemical, in the fish transported from other States to Goa.
With the fish quota failing to arrive in the commercial town of the North, most vendors were found sitting idle in the market some of whom were unaware of the raid in Margao.
As news of the raid at the Margao wholesale fish
market began to filter in through the social media, consumers became aware of the sudden “strike” by the fish vendors.
On learning about the early morning raid, the leader of the Mapusa Fish Vendor’s Association, Shashikala Govekar rushed to Margao.
“How can we sell fish when the entire consignment has been blocked by the government authorities? We mostly depend on fish from the neighbouring States during the monsoon,” Govekar told The Goan.
Later in the evening, however, the fish was made available to consumers in Mapusa fish market.
“How can all the fish have formalin as testified by the FDA authorities? We later met TCP minister Vijai Sardesai and the issue was promptly resolved,” Govekar said.
Locals who flocked to the fish market were stunned to find the fish market totally empty in the morning.
Locals sceptical of FDA raid
MAPUSA: Many locals in Mapusa were, however, sceptical of the FDA raid and wondered if it was just another exercise to deceive the Goans.
“When has the FDA taken serious measures to curb spurious foods sold in the market? Can we ever trust our government to work for its people? These fish vendors are playing with the lives of the common man by using chemicals to preserve the fish and the government appears to be looking the other way,” a local said.
