Margao: Former minister Manohar ‘Babu’ Azgaonkar on Saturday hit out at PWD minister and Margao MLA Digambar Kamat over his intervention to stall civic action against roadside vegetable vendors. Azgaonkar asked what had stopped Kamat from building a shelter for local vendors during his years representing the constituency.Azgaonkar accused the minister of manufacturing sympathy for Goan vendors while actually shielding migrant traders who have encroached on footpaths across the town.“Digambar is creating sympathy for himself by supporting Goan vendors. Let him give them the space, I welcome that, but why is he talking about providing market space only now?” he said, referring to Kamat’s assurance on Friday that action would not be taken against local vendors selling produce opposite the Margao police station pending their relocation to the old bus stand.Azgaonkar, who is the leader of the Vegetable, Readymade and Cloth Vendors Association at Gandhi Market, said the market had been built specifically to provide space for Goan vendors from across Salcete, and that footpath trade by outsiders was eating into their livelihood. His association had earlier written to the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) seeking removal of unauthorised vendors from various places across Margao, warning that members would be forced to shut down.“Most of the vendors occupying the footpaths are migrants. Why isn’t action taken against illegal migrant vendors occupying footpaths? Let Kamat speak for Madgaonkars who face hardships owing to encroachments,” the former minister said.He said that if MMC failed to clear the footpaths within a week, he would lead a morcha to the civic body, escalating pressure on both the council and the minister.
