Margao: The rokda labour market in Cuncolim, which had become a public nuisance and a traffic hazard, has been shifted to a safer location, bringing relief to traders and pedestrians in the area.Hundreds of migrant labourers, locally known as rokda labour, would converge near State Bank of India (SBI) branch every morning, waiting for prospective customers to hire them for the day. The crowding often spilled onto the road, obstructing vehicles and pedestrians.Following repeated requests from traders, the authorities have now moved the assembly point to an open space nearby, which traders say is both safe and convenient.Cuncolim Traders Association president Yatin Talaulikar said the association had been pursuing the issue with all authorities concerned for the last four months without the desired response. “After we approached Cuncolim Municipal Council once again recently, the chief officer and the administrator swung into action,” he said.“Today, the entire migrant workforce has been shifted to an open space nearby. The labourers can now gather there without affecting traffic or pedestrians, and the location is convenient for them as well,” Talaulikar said.The traders’ association had earlier asked Cuncolim Municipal Council to regulate the workforce by setting up a registration centre near the SBI and issuing identity cards to workers. The association had pointed out that the daily gathering of workers in front of the bank inconvenienced the public, blocked movement and created an “unorganised and unsafe environment” for both workers and employers.It had proposed a nominal monthly fee of around Rs 300 per worker to meet administrative costs, with the centre maintaining documentation of every registered worker. The association had said the system would also allow employers to verify workers while hiring and improve municipal monitoring.
