Team Goemkarponn
VASCO: Traditional Goan furniture stall owners participating in the Vasco Damodar Saptah Fair have urged Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and the authorities to provide rebates and subsidies to traditional carpenters and reduce sopo and stall charges at fairs and feasts across Goa.
Members of the All Goa Carpenters Association said traditional carpenters continue to make handmade furniture and household articles, unlike mechanised furniture manufacturers. They said only a small number of traditional Goan carpenters are still pursuing the occupation and require government support to preserve the craft.
A carpenter at the fair said members of the association travel from one fair to another across Goa to sell handmade furniture. He said a similar demand for reduced stall charges was raised during the Margao fair, where SGPDA Chairman and Vasco MLA Krishna Salkar had agreed to provide a concession.
According to the stall owners, the charges at Margao were reduced substantially, with a discount of around 30 per cent. They said they are now seeking a similar concession at the Vasco Saptah Fair, particularly as Salkar represents Vasco.
The carpenters said the Mormugao Municipal Council had charged around ₹850 per running metre during the previous Saptah Fair. However, the rates have now increased, while additional charges have also been imposed for garbage collection.
The stall owners questioned the garbage collection charges, saying their furniture stalls do not sell food or use plastic bags and therefore generate very little waste.
Another stall owner said traditional carpenters spend considerable time travelling across Goa to participate in different fairs. “After Vasco, we will go to the Ashtami Fair in Panjim, where another municipality will charge us for the stall,” he said, highlighting the burden of repeated expenses.
The carpenters said competition has increased while demand for handmade furniture has declined, making it increasingly difficult for traditional artisans to earn a sustainable livelihood.
They recalled that Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant had visited the Damodar Temple during last year’s Saptah and provided significant rebates to traditional sweetmeat sellers preparing khaje, as well as stalls selling gram and peanuts, recognising them as traditional occupations.
The carpenters said handmade furniture made by traditional Goan artisans should receive similar recognition and government support. They appealed for a substantial sopo concession at Vasco and reduced stall charges at fairs and feasts across Goa.
The stall owners also pointed out that women from carpenter families are increasingly accompanying their families and bringing furniture to fairs, helping preserve the traditional trade.
They urged the government to consider subsidies and concessions similar to those extended to fishermen and other traditional occupations, warning that without support, the traditional Goan carpentry profession could gradually disappear.
