the goan I network
MARGAO
The public health department may have exempted fish traders from the ban on the import of fish if they have complied with the laid down guidelines, but the relaxation may not ring in good news for many a wholesale fish trader at least for the next fortnight.
The South Goa Planning and Development Authority is meeting only on November 26, while the Margao Municipal Council is expected to have its ordinary meeting later next week, implying that neither the traders can neither expect NOC from the SGPDA nor the trade license from the MMC before their meetings scheduled between 10 and 15 days from now. Inquiries by The Goan have revealed that the SGPDA, which was supposed to meet on November 15, has postponed the meeting to November 26 as per the decision of the PDA Chairperson Dr
Renuka Da Silva. SGPDA Member Secretary Ashok Kumar has confirmed that the wholesale fish issue will figure at the authority meeting, especially on the question of NOCs that have been sought by the wholesale fish traders.
Ashok Kumar, however, hastened to add that though the issue will figure at the November 26 meeting, it is purely for the authority to take a call on the applications made by the fish traders seeking NOC from the PDA.
Incidentally, the Margao Municipal Council is planning to have its ordinary meeting on November 22 and inquiries have only revealed that the applications for trade licenses made by the 28 wholesale fish vendors do not find a meeting agenda at the moment. Sources in the MMC, however, pointed out that the issue can be included in the meeting agenda anytime even in the Any Other Business item depending on the municipal chairperson, who convenes the meeting. This means that the wholesale fish traders will have to wait for the meetings of the SGPDA and MMC to take place before they can look forward for these two authorities to grant them the NOC or the trade license respectively.
It’s now over a month and half since the wholesale fish traders had knocked the doors of the Margao Municipal Council for the trade license, but the proposal has been kept on hold by the Chief Officer Siddivinayak Naik on the premise that the traders should obtain NOCs from the SGPDA, the owner of the market, and that their applications should conform to the Municipal rules in force pertaining to vending and trading.
“Since the applications made by the wholesale fish traders have raised a host of issues, the matter will be placed before the Council meeting for an appropriate decision,” the MMC CO said, adding that it is for the council to include the item on the agenda of the ensuing meeting of the council.
