Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s budgetary allocation of Rs 41 crore for the development of the wholesale fish market at Margao may not be music to the ears of the fishing community and citizens alike. Reason: Work on the construction of a modern wholesale fish market at Margao with funds chipped by the Central Fisheries Board and the State government is in progress at the site. In fact, the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) is in the process of completing phase-I of the wholesale fish market project and has tendered phase-II of the market project.
If sources are to be believed, the GSIDC has completed the civil part of the work and has covered the roof of the ground-plus one storeyed building. What remains to be completed in the first phase of the construction is the electrical fittings and the flooring.
While the ground floor of the building under construction is expected to be utilised for the wholesale fish activities, GSIDC officials said it is up to the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) to take a call how to go about utilising the space on the first floor, whether to allot the space for the fish traders or use the same for some other purpose.
The official said that funds has been no constraint in executing the wholesale fish market project, implemented by the Centre and State government on 60:40 ratio basis. He, however, said the project may be further delayed if the SGPDA fails to shift the wholesale fish market activities to a makeshift place to help expedite the balance portion of the market construction work.