Street vendors set to get plot
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 03, 2011: Putting behind their long years of hardship confronting inclement weather to earn daily livelihood, women street vendors in different parts of Khwairamband Bazar and its surrounding areas would be shifted to the Temporary Market sheds starting from Febaury 5 onwards.

Shifting of women street vendors, both license holders as well as otherwise from Naga Nullah, Chakkri Kom, East of Sessions Judge Court, Maharani bridge and from along the stretch of BT flyover would be started one after another.

According to information received by The Sangai Express, the total number of license that the Imphal Municipality has issued to the street vendors in Naga Nullah, Chakkri Kom, east of Sessions Court, Maharani bridge and BT flyover area is 984 while the number of street vendors who have no license and would be allotted space for selling their wares in the open market is 497.On the other hand, the total number of street vendors in and around Maharani bridge is around 400. In all 897 non-license holders street vendors would be allotted space in the temporary market shed.

Along with re-construction and renovation of the Temporary Market sheds, PDA has newly set up in all six rows of platform for the open market.

Including the open market and the existing 42 sheds, the total number of plots to be allotted to the street vendors is said to be 1881.

Imphal Municipal Council officials verifying licenses of street vendors

Officials of Imphal Municipal Council, entrusted with the task of shifting the street vendors to the Temporary sheds have been conducting verification of the licence holders and collection of licence fees inside the IMC complex since January 31 last.

The exercise will continue till February 5. Instances of detecting more number of licence holders and resultant clashes among the women vendors that were witnessed at the time of allotting plots in the three newly constructed Ima markets may not be ruled out in the process of shifting the street vendors to the temporary market sheds as well.

An official disclosed that the bills for the estimated amount spend on repairing the Temporary Market sheds are yet to be prepared.

So, how much amount have been spend is not known.

Meanwhile, preparations are being made for performing the rites and rituals of installing the Keithel Lairemba, Keithel Lairemabi (presiding god and goddess of the market) and Imoinu (goddess of wealth) at the site left vacant after the earlier Keithel Lairemba and Keithel Lairembi have been shifted to the newly constructed markets at around 8 am tomorrow.

Talking to The Sangai Express, Ph Liklai Leima, the president of Lairembi Ima Leipak Thougal Lup, Khwai Ima Keithel, Naga Mapal, Naga Nullah, which is making the arrangements of installing new presiding deities, said that the steps being taken up for shifting of the women street vendors who have been confronting inclement weather to earn their daily income all these years to the Temporary Market sheds is indeed fortunate.

So, the Government should ensure proper allotment of the spots to avoid the recurring incidents of clashes among the women vendors, she said, adding that police personnel should also stop chasing and harassment of the street vendors.

She also appealed to the women vendors to sell their wares and carry out trade properly so as not to give any chance to the police to harass them.