The infamous Sunday bazaar is back in Margao with a bang, with vendors occupying the pavements and footpaths along the station road showing garments and electronic goods.
Dubbed “Chor Bazaar” over the years for the simple reason that police, more often than not, used to recover stolen items from the bazaar in the past, the early Sunday market along the station road has made a big bang, thanks to the blind eye turned by the Margao Municipal Council and its market inspectors.
Whether the bazaar still plays host to the stolen electronic goods, including mobile phones, or not, remains unknown, but vendors selling readymade garments has now become a common feature along the station road on early Sunday morning.
In the past, the Margao police used to crack a whip against the Sunday bazaar on two counts, that the bazaar had a notorious record of offering stolen goods for sale. Secondly, the bazaar would create traffic bottlenecks along the congested station road.
Surprisingly, no police action has been forthcoming against the early Sunday bazaar, as a result of which the activity has been going on unabated right under the nose of the authorities.
That the activity has returned to Margao with a bang has come against the backdrop of complaints lodged by Margao municipal councillor Mahesh Amonkar, demanding action against the illegal markets on the city’s pavements and footpaths.
Amonkar has been critical of the Margao municipal authorities for turning a blind eye to the illegal vending opposite the comunidade building and other places, including the Sadekar lane. He had warned that inaction by the civic body against the illegal vending activities may attract the attention of the High Court and put the MMC in the dock.
