The pilgrims during their visit to Jerusalem.
VASCO
It was aimed at providing space to traditional Goan vendors to sell vegetables, fruits, poultry and coconut oil, but Vasco’s ambitious traditional traditional Goan vendor’s market has failed to garner business and has now turned into a godown within barely two years.
The premises, which earlier served as the Vasco’s fish market, had been empty after the fish market was shifted to a new location near the old bus stand many years ago.
Realising that prime space had been underutilised, Vasco MLA Krishna Salkar, who was then a councillor of the Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC), had proposed to develop the place and dedicate a new market for traditional Goan vendors to sell Goan vegetables and fruits, poultry and Goan coconut oil.
Amid political issues, the project was kept on hold, but when Salkar became the MLA, he decided to pursue the project.
A list of vendors was also prepared so as to shift them to the newly renovated market that would be exclusively dedicated to traditional vendors.
In July 2022, then MMC Chairperson Leo Rodrigues announced that traditional vendors operating footpaths and other roadside areas around the port town would be shifted to the renovated market complex.
Besides providing these vendors a safer and secure space while also protecting them from hardships during the monsoons, the traditional Goan vendor’s market was seen as an opportunity to decongest footpaths.
The traditional Goan vendor’s market was finally inaugurated formally on July 16, 2022, with traditional vendors shifting into the neat and clean refurbished market complex. However within a few months, the traditional vendors complained of lack of business in the complex.
Claiming that they would get more business on the roadsides, the vendors said customers were reluctant to go all the way to the traditional Goan vendor’s market to buy traditional vegetables and fruits.
The vendors, however, have not left the premises.
Today, the new market complex dedicated to the traditional Goan vendors is occupied, but not by vendors but by their goods. The vendors continue to operate from various roadsides in Vasco. When contacted, MMC Chairperson Girish Borker said the market project had been designed exclusively for Goan traditional vendors.
“However, the vendors don’t operate from the place and operate from roadsides. They keep all their goods in the secured complex while they leave for their homes in the evening,” admitted Borker.
“No matter how hard we tried, the vendors don’t want to sit inside the complex and complain that they are facing lack of business due to some vendors operating outside.”
“We don’t have so much staff to act against such vendors, and we cannot keep sending our staff on an hourly basis to check on all these vendors.
Borker said the MMC is planing to earn revenue from the spacious complex.
“The health department in Vasco is operating from various locations much to the confusion of the residents. We are planning to offer the complex to the health department so that they can operate under one roof.”
“But in case the health department is not interested, we will hand over the premises to some private party who can start a bazaar or a wholesale mart or a superstore and pay us a fixed rent every month. This is one way of utilising the complex and earning revenue, instead of keeping it idle and as a godown for traditional vendors,” Borker added.
