MARGAO: If feast fairs could be considered a barometer of the rural economy, green shoots of economic revival are visible in Margao with the Margao municipality allocating 260 stalls to vendors for the feast of the Holy Spirit Church, Margao that was held on Sunday. The Margao Municipal Council (MMC) netted revenue of close to Rs 20 lakh from the rent towards stalls allotted to vendors. Contrast this against last year’s revenue of Rs 4 lakhs and the recovery of local market sentiment is quite palpable, business and commerce watchers say.
The feast fair is held for nearly a week and, coming as it does ahead of the monsoons, vendors make brisk business. The feast is also popularly known as the Purumentachem fest (feast for provisions) as previously people used to stock up their households with provisions purchased from this feast fair held ahead of the rainy season. While the fair wasn’t held in 2020 due to the lockdown, it had received poor response from vendors last year. The charm of the fair returned this year much to the delight of the public.
The feast fair, previously held along the roadsides, was shifted to the SGPDA grounds and in the open spaces beyond the road from Colva circle to the KTC bus stand, Margao, since the last few years to prevent traffic congestion at the junctions in the old market area.
The Margao municipality has taken several initiatives this time to ensure order and discipline as also cleanliness at the feast fair.
Certain areas have been designated as no-parking zones, which are notified by means of banners. Five mobile toilets have been erected for the convenience of the public visiting the fair.
With a view to make the public aware of the various services it has been offering through the online mode, banners announcing these can also be spotted at a number of places.
On the garbage management front, municipality officials said that while sufficient dustbins have been provided, an arrangement has been put in place for collection of garbage twice a day from the feast fair.
