Sopo contractor overcharging at wholesale market: Trawler owners

Margao: The long-pending feud between the sopo contractor and fish-carrying vehicles entering the SGPDA wholesale fish market reached the office of the chief officer of Margao Municipal Council (MMC) on Friday, as trawler owners complained about alleged overcharging and extortion by collection agents.A delegation comprising Savio D’Silva, Jose Philip D’Souza, and other boat owners met with chief officer Melwyn Vaz to address mounting grievances against the municipality-appointed sopo contractor’s collection practices at the wholesale fish market complex. The meeting comes amid ongoing tensions that previously led to clashes between fish suppliers and sopo collectors.“Collection of sopo from vehicles bringing fish to the wholesale fish market is illegal.

They can’t collect sopo from vehicles which come to supply fish to the vendors,” said Savio D’Silva, a fishing trawler owner, while speaking to the media after the meeting. “Sopo is collected by the municipality from persons doing business in its jurisdiction, and this is the practice prevalent across Goa.”D’Silva voiced concerns regarding the sopo contractor’s operations, including “exorbitant” parking fees charged to vehicles parked outside the market premises.

“When the vehicles are parked outside, they are charged exorbitant parking fees. No proper receipts are issued either,” he alleged.The sopo controversy has plagued Margao’s municipal administration since early this year. The dispute initially emerged over unauthorised fee collection outside the SGPDA’s wholesale fish market and has now evolved into a broader dispute involving tender processes and sopo collection practices.Earlier this year, the SGPDA filed a police complaint against the MMC-appointed sopo contractor for unauthorised fee collection outside the SGPDA wholesale fish market complex. Municipal councillors have also raised concerns about irregularities in the sopo tender process and alleged overcharging of vendors. The chief officer assured the trawler owners of convening a meeting of the sopo contractor and boat owners soon to address their grievances and find a resolution to the dispute.