Pointing out the pathetic and unhygienic conditions in the SGPDA wholesale fish market, the Margao Wholesale Fish Market Association has threatened to stop payment of sopo charges to the PDA if there’s no turnaround in the market within a week.
Association president Maulana Ibrahim further said the fish traders have no problem if the FDA or any other authority increase the number of tests on fish brought into the wholesale fish market for sale.
Addressing the media, Ibrahim said the situation in the wholesale fish market has turned from bad to worse in the last few days.
Saying that the fish traders are literally selling fish in the market in the muck and water-logged ground, Ibrahim wondered why the SGPDA is not taking up the upkeep and maintenance of the market when they collect huge sopo fees from the fish traders.
He said a delegation of the wholesale fish market association would call on Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, who also holds the TCP portfolio, to put the wholesale fish market in order.
“We do not think that fish-loving Goans would consume fish brought from the wholesale fish market if come across the state of the market. The SGPDA should work out a maintenance plan immediately or we will stop paying the sopo,” Ibrahim warned.
He said a delegation of representatives of the boat owners, ramponkars besides the fish traders would call on the SGPDA Member Secretary to put the market in order.
“After the commencement of the new fishing season from August 1, the number of fish vehicles entering the market will increase manifold. There’s no place in the market to do business,” he said while urging the PDA to take cognizance of the same and initiate action.
Saying that the wholesale fish traders are being forced to park their vehicles on the wholesale fish market road for want of a parking facility, Ibrahim said the PDA should either allow the vehicles to park inside the market on payment of charges, or the government should provide parking land admeasuring 20,000 square metres for the fish vehicles.
Asked to comment on the refusal by the FDA officials to show the fish testing to the public, Ibrahim said the issue does not fall in the domain of the fish trades. He, however, said the fish traders are ready to subject their fish to any number of tests by the FDA or any other authority.
