Many leave empty-handed as beef stalls remain dry for third consecutive day; cold storage owners hesitate to place orders on Wednesday due to stall closures
Pork in demand: Christmas shoppers made a beeline at the pork stalls at the SGPDA market while the beef stalls remained shut for want of beef supplies.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
While the government agencies promised resumption of beef supply from Christmas Day, questions are raised whether the decision would ring in good news for meat eaters, more so when people normally make the purchases on the eve of festivities.
In fact, an agitated shopper wondered how many Christian families would go to the beef stalls on Christmas Day to buy beef when the purchases are done on the eve of the festival.
Shoppers have also raised the question whether the timing of the flash strike resorted by the beef traders on the eve of the festivities.
Caught in the crossfire following the clash between the Gau Rakshaks and the beef traders have been the Christian community, who could not lay their hands on beef since the last three days. In fact, shoppers to the SGPDA retail market returned home disappointed on Tuesday, the third successive day when beef stalls ran dry.
City-based lawyer, Adv Anacleto Viegas told the media that the government should provide security to the beef traders to conduct the business. He said it is the responsibility of the government to enforce the law and keep at bay miscreants fomenting trouble. Viegas also advised the beef traders to organise themselves in a way that no one will interfere with their business.
Cold storage owners told The Goan that hundreds of customers queued up at the stalls since Tuesday morning for beef, but in vain. “We were helpless to meet their requirements since we received no supply from the Goa Meat Complex. The customers had to return home disappointed,” informed a cold storage owner.
While the cold storage owners were in receipt of messages from the Goa Meat Complex to place their orders for beef on Wednesday, he said most of the owners have not placed any order for the reason that the stalls normally remain closed on Christmas Day.
Incidentally, many customers hoped that the prices of beef will remain stable, with a customer pointing out that prices have been spiked in the past taking advantage of disruption in supplies.
