Disputes dog Thoubal market
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 18 2013 :
Although the new Thoubal market was inaugurated more than a year back, the market could not be opened till date due to disputes and disagreement among different stake-holders.
According to an order issued by the Thoubal Municipal Council (TMC), licensed vendors/shopkeepers should shift to the new market today.
However, even before the TMC officials arrived at the market, women vendors gathered at the market and all of them started scrambling for their vendor plots on the ground floor.
Garment vendors too maintained that their plots should be allotted on the ground floor and they too made a choice of the location of their plots on the ground floor.
Vegetable vendors soon joined them and the latter group too occupied plots in the direction they desired.
This resulted in a melee and TMC officials were unable to settle the matter.
Even as the market could not opened officially, some vendors brought out merchandise and started plying their trade.
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Compelled by the evolving situation, TMC Executive Officer issued another order today where the official opening of the new Thoubal market was put off indefinitely.
TMC Revenue Officer M Rajen said that it was being arranged to garment vendors and other people dealing in luxury items would be allotted their plots in the first floor while vegetable vendors would be given plots on the ground floor.
But the official opening of the market could not be done due to disputes and disagreement among vendors on the one hand and inadequate security on the other.
TMC Chairperson Y Bijen said that there were 696 licensed vendors in the old Thoubal market and another 380 new vendors were given licences through draw of lots.
The total 1076 vendors comprising of the old licensees and new licensees have been allotted plots in the new market.
But a controversy has been raging on about location of plots.