The fish vendors from Baina fish market are facing a myriad of problems as the Mormugao Municipal Council has neglected the dilapidated state of the market building. Fish vendors have alleged that sometimes their fish is stolen as the building is poorly secured with many walls crumbling and windows broken.
Earlier, around 20 fish sellers would do their business from the fish market, with the complex’s other half being used by vegetable vendors. However, the number of customers visiting the market went down after some vendors started conducting business outside the building. MMC has not shown any enthusiasm to take action against these sellers for reasons unknown. Presently only two fish vendors are carrying out their business from the market and pay their respective sopo tax amount. The fish market’s building is prominently featured in every manifesto of the Municipal and Assembly elections but no heed is paid to the repairs of the complex, complain the vendors.
“Due to the weakened structure of the building, thieves have broken the cement grills and have stolen our fish many times. They mostly take the bigger fish. We have tried to obstruct the entrance by putting up iron sheets but the thieves have continued to evade us. The municipality should at least repair the windows and the doors if not the entire building,” said one of the two fish vendors who still sit in the market complex to do their business.