The property tax department of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has proposed to cancel its agreement with wholesale and retail fish vendors, who have procured platforms in air-cooled fish market in Mangalwari. The proposal will be tabled before the standing committee meeting to be held on March 30. In 2010, as a part of its plan to develop hygienic fish market, the NMC had approved developing an air-cooled fish market in Mangalwari vegetable market. The market was built by the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) and Maharashtra Fisheries Development Corporation (MFDC) and it was readied by 2014 at a cost of Rs3 crore. The indoor market comprises four platforms for wholesale and 108 for retail sale of fish, besides having an auction gallery, two cold storages to preserve fish. Since the beginning, no fish vendor had shown interest citing huge deposit and rent. Though NMC had relaxed the deposit norms, still it found few takers. Even after so many years, those who entered into an agreement with the NMC were setting up shops in parking area outside the market complex.
Fish vendors from Bhoipura wholesale fish market too pointed this out before the high court, which took serious note of selling fish in unhygienic surroundings. The HC had, in the past, directed the NMC to shift the fish market from Bhoipura to Mangalwari market complex. However, traders there showed no interest citing the size of platforms was very small, even though 79 fish vendors had entered into an agreement with the NMC agreeing to set up their shops inside the complex. Now, the NMC has decided to cancel the agreements with vendors. Along with this proposal, the civic administration has also submitted a proposal to spend Rs1.09 crore for pesticides and tablets to control vector-borne diseases in corporation limits. Hotmix department has submitted a proposal seeking provision of Rs1.91 crore for purchasing raw material for roads in the city from a shortlisted bidder M/s Altaf Ahmed.
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