Fishermen protest against plan to shift them from Crawford Market
Fishermen from Mumbai and neighboring areas have opposed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's plan to relocate fish vendors from Mumbai's Crawford Market. "Nearly 1,200 fishermen and representatives of the Koli community from across the city and neighboring areas like Dahanu, Vasai, Thane, and Raigad on Wednesday staged a protest at Mumbai's Azad Maidan," said Devendra Tandel, president of Akhil Maharashtra Machhimar Kruti Samiti (AMMKS).
Shifting vendors to Airoli would affect the business: Tandel
"We opposed the BMC's plan to shift fish vendors from Crawford Market in south Mumbai to Airoli in Navi Mumbai and other parts of Mumbai. The BMC has already demolished the fish market in Mumbai's Dadar area," Tandel said. "The Crawford Market acts like an agriculture produce marketing committee (APMC) of fish trade and shifting vendors to Airoli would affect the business," Tandel claimed.
We did not receive any assurance from civic body: Tandel
Tandel said that fish vendors should instead be relocated nearby or somewhere in Dadar. Before launching the protest AMMKS representatives met BMC officials. "Joint Municipal Commissioner Ramesh Pawar met the AMMKS delegation though they had sought a meeting with BMC Commissioner Iqbal Chahal," Tandel said, adding that they did not receive any assurance from the civic body.
We were told that matter is state government's responsibility: Tandel
According to Hindustan Times, fishermen expressed resentment after meeting Pawar. Tandel told Hindustan Times, "We had asked to meet with BMC Commissioner, but instead we were granted an audience with Mr. Pawar. We demanded that fish markets in Crawford Market and Dadar be re-established on sight, at the earliest. This is non-negotiable. We were told that the matter is the state government's responsibility."
They demanded temporary relocation of fish vendors to other places
Notably, in a representation submitted to the BMC, AMMKS demanded temporary relocation of fish vendors to Carnac Bunder and Cotton Green areas in Mumbai, until a new shed is built for them at the Crawford Market.
