MARGAO: Determined to keep the city clean, the Curchorem-Cacora
Municipal Council (CCMC) has embarked upon a drive against plastic
carry-bags, illegal encroachments and the sale of gutkha within the
city. The drive began with a two-day intensive awareness campaign led by
chief officer Agnelo Fernandes and chairperson Jasmine Braganza last
weekend.

“During the drive, we educated the traders against
stocking plastic bags below 40 microns and offering them to their
customers. Most of the traders voluntarily handed over their stocks of
plastic carry bags below the specified thickness, and gutkha packets as
well,” Fernandes told TOI.

Once the required level of awareness is created, the CCMC will crack down against the violators with an iron hand, it was said.

In an indication that no illegalities in the allotment of stalls at the SUDA market complex
would be tolerated, Fernandes ordered sealing of 51 stalls. “The 51
shops that were yet to be allotted to vendors were being used by
unscrupulous traders. When this was brought to my notice, we sealed the
shops and they are now in our possession. We will allot the shops
through an open auction shortly,” Fernandes said.

Similar
anti-encroachment drives carried out by the CCMC in the past had met
with little success, as the vendors would return to their road side
places once the drive lost steam. This time, the CCMC is planning to
accommodate the road side vendors in the proposed hawkers’ zone near the
SUDA market complex.

Confirming this, Fernandes told TOI that
the area has been identified and the work of earmarking the spaces for
the hawkers will be done on Wednesday. “We will allow hawkers to sell
their wares only within the spaces allotted to them. They will also be
permitted to erect umbrellas,” Fernandes said.

The setting up of
the hawkers’ zone in the town is primarily aimed at clearing all
illegal encroachments and to ease traffic congestion to a considerable
extent, besides protecting the vendors from being at the mercy of the
authorities.