Mapusa traders call for market bandh on Mon

Mapusa: The Mapusa Merchants’ Association (MMA) on Friday rejected the mediation bid of deputy speaker and Mapusa MLA Joshua D’Souza and decided to go ahead with their decision to shut the market on Monday.After the talks with the Mapusa MLA failed, MMA president Jitendra Falari told the media that the traders will not call off the bandh as they have not received a satisfactory response from the MLA.“We will hold a peaceful, voluntary bandh on Monday. Traders in the market as well as those in the town will participate,” he said.Earlier in the day, traders met to discuss the levy of sanitation fees with retrospective effect.

The MMA said the Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) is being unfair.One of the traders’ demands is that the sanitation tax —currently imposed for five years — be implemented for a single year, from 2025-26.Other demands are the revision of the sanitation fees and the immediate refund of four years’ sanitation fees to traders who have paid for five years.Moreover, the traders want the waiver of the late fee imposed for not renewing trade licences on time.

D’Souza requested traders not to shut the market as that will inconvenience people and spur revenue loss.The past president of the MMA, Ashish Shirodkar, said, “The council must adopt a resolution that sanitation fees will apply from 2025-2026, and not implemented with retrospective effect.”The solution offered during the talks, Shirodkar said, was that the sanitation fees paid by the traders for four years will be shown as arrears. “The council told us that the model has some flaws, which will be evaluated by the law department,” he saidThe MMC officials, Shirodkar said, have not been able to give a timeline for correction..As of now, traders have been told that sanitation charges will not be linked to the renewal of trade licences.