Possible new arrangement for non-Manipuri vendors
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Mangolchand Chingakham
Imphal, July 16 2011:
Manipur Government has been trying for some months to solve the issue of street vendors in Imphal with an aim to make the market areas clean and convenient for the common people to commute without success due to lack of a right and an uniform strategy.
Government had arranged a market for street vendors at Lamphel and succeeded in convincing some street vendors but still many street vendors are struggling at Khwairamband Keithel to earn their livelihood amidst strict prohibition by the police.
These street vendors face many problems in order to sell vegetables or fruits as they have no proper place or space to sit and sell them.
They sell their wares changing sites every now and then and on many occasions they have been beaten by security personnel or traffic policemen for defying the government's restrictions.
However these vendors have learnt to accept being beaten or scolded in their struggle for survival.
On the other hand, many non Manipuri fruit sellers are selling fruits without any hinderance from the police and other concerned authority at Thangal bazar just opposite the Chamber Commerce Hospital.
One fruit seller told Hueiyen Lanpao that they have been paying taxes to the Imphal Municipal Council regularly and they have got cards issued by IMC which permit them to occupy the space and sell fruits without any obstructions.
Nameirakpam Raghumani, Chairman Imphal Municipal Council in an exclusive interview with Hueiyen Lanpao said that the non Manipuri fruit sellers are not street vendors but they are street hawkers and they are IMC card holders.
When asked about the issue of street vendors and the government decision to restrict the vendors from selling products at roadsides or footpaths at the market areas he asserted that his council is only a few months old and has just started functioning and the issue of street vendors is totally handled by the government and the police.
He said that IMC is always blamed or targeted if anything wrong happens in the market areas but the fact is that IMC does not have the authority to look into the matter of the street vendor issue.
If the IMC is authorized to work full fledgedly and independently, then IMC can solve most of the issues in a short period whether it is of traffic problems, the street vendor issue or the issue of keeping the market areas clean, he added.
When asked why the government is discriminating the local street vendors as compared to the non Manipuri vendors Raghumani said that the non Manipuri street hawkers have been selling fruits for a long time and there are 24 card holders and they are paying ' 118 each every month to the IMC.
A long time back when the streets in Imphal city were not so congested and the traffic was light, the then board of council of IMC issued them cards as street hawkers and since then they have been paying regular taxes to the IMC.
But since IMC is getting complaints on the non uniformity of the issue, the matter of the fruit sellers will be discussed during a board meeting which is to be held on July 25.A committee will be formed to look into the matter.
As per the recommendation of the committee, IMC will consult with the concerned departments about an alternative arrangement for non Manipuri fruit sellers.
The people of the state will soon witness the initiative of IMC, he said.
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