Tension in Margao wholesale market as fish is sold at retail price
Sellers are threatening to take legal action if the SGPDA does not take action against the retailers
Herald of the team
MARGAO: There was renewed tension at the Margao Fish Wholesale Market, not because of the issuance of the Sopo collection, but because of the sale of fish at retail price.
Retail market vendors from the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) claimed that even the authority is not taking action against the retailers in the wholesale market.
In the early hours of Saturday, a group of retail fish vendors from the retail market sensed their presence at the wholesale fish market and protested.
In addition, they warned against taking the law into their hands if the SGPDA does not take action against the retailers doing business in the wholesale market. Even the members of the Margao fish wholesalers supported the demand.
It is recalled that fish retailers of the SGPDA Fish Retail Store had filed their complaint against the retail activities at the Wholesale Fish Market, but no action has been taken to date.
“This wholesale fish market only serves wholesale and not retail. The SGPDA has a separate market for retail fish sellers. However, it has been noticed that several vendors are selling fish at retail price in the wholesale fish market, which is hampering our business,” said one of the fish vendors.
She further accused the SGPDA of failing to take action against fish retailing in the wholesale market.
“We are very fed up with calling for a halt to the retail sale of fish on the wholesale market and now is the time to take the law into our own hands. We issue a final warning to the SGPDA. Stop the fish being sold at retail in the wholesale market immediately or we will act,” warned another fishmonger.
One of the fish wholesalers also objected to the sale of the fish at retail price on the wholesale market.
“Several complaints have been filed with the SGPDA calling for the wholesale fish market to cease fish retail activities. Now we have decided not to pay the Sopo to the SGPDA until the act,” he warned.
He further claimed that SGPDA officials would allow the sellers to do the fish business at retail price.
However, one of the local representatives later pledged to take action against all fish vendors involved who were selling fish at retail price at the wholesale fish market.