‘Crack down on buses used for fish smuggling’

NT NETWORK

MARGAO

Margao Wholesale Fish Market Association president Ibrahim Maulana on Saturday demanded that the government should cancel route permits of those interstate buses which are used to smuggle fish consignments into Goa.

Pressing his demand through a press communiqué that was issued after   a meeting of wholesale fish agents had been held in Margao, Maulana said, “We have found that fish from Karwar is being transported to Margao in a private bus on Fridays and Saturdays…

We wanted to know as to why Health Minister Vishwajit Rane is not initiating action against the buses which transport fish. The fish that is being brought into Goa is of low quality and stinking.”

Maintaining that the fish industry has been in the doldrums due to arrogant attitudes of FDA officials, Maulana said the fish traders are willing to comply with FDA directives but they need more time as the SGPDA and the Margao municipality have not issued no-objection certificates which are needed for applying for FDA licences.