MARGAO
The traditional khadio bodio and channas will return back to add festive colour to the week-long Purumetachem fest fair at the Old market here on the occasion of the feast of Holy Spirit Church, Margao on Sunday this year.
Vendors selling the traditional Goan sweets and grams, besides toys at the fair, who had boycotted the feast fair in December last year, have confirmed their participation for the ensuing fair at the Old market this Sunday.
A delegation of the traditional vendors called on the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) authorities and discussed their issue and the place where they are supposed to conduct their business at the Old market area. These vendors have boycotted the feast fair in December after the High Court had issued directions to the MMC to ban erection of fair stalls along the road in and around the Old market area.
“Last year, we had stayed away from putting up the stalls for the simple reason that the Municipal authorities asked us to go inside the SGPDA complex. We had no option than to turn down the request since the SGPDA ground would kick up dust since it is not tarred," a traditional vendor told The Goan.
This year, however, the vendors have agreed to participate in the fair after the Municipal authorities decided to allot them space along the Colva road, which has been permitted for business activity as per the Court order. “We had objections to do business on the SGPDA ground on health ground since our sweets will be exposed to dust. The stretch of road along the Colva circle is acceptable to us since it is away from the SGDPA ground," remarked a vendor.
The High Court had last year banned erection of stalls along the roads in and around the Old market area after the Green Goa Foundation petitioned to the court about the traffic snarls witnessed in the area during the week-long fair and the inconveniences caused to the pedestrians with most of the footpaths blocked by the stalls, leaving no option for the MMC than to shift the stalls to the adjoining SGPDA ground.
