Margao municipality flags illegal stalls

Panaji: Margao Municipal Council (MMC) chairperson Damodar Shirodkar on Tuesday raised concerns over illegal stalls that have mushroomed along the town roads, selling festive goods.Shirodkar said the roadside vendors affect the business of licensed traders. Also, they contribute to traffic congestion. He said that some govt employees too have put up stalls in front of their houses to sell festive items.Although Shirodkar warned of action against illegal operators, no action was taken until late evening. A citizen said the town faces the worst congestion during peak hours, and with vendors having put up stalls on roadsides, the problem has been exacerbated.He added that the powers lie with the council to act against vendors who function illegally. The fact that the council has not removed anyone so far proves that it does not want to take action.“Christmas is tomorrow. If the MMC really wanted to act, it would have by now,” said the citizen.