Temporary market turns into a battle field
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, July 31 2013: With the Imphal Municipal Council (IMC) arranging for more new street vendors to occupy seats in the temporary market, conflict erupted with the old and actual street vendors, thereby, turning the temporary market into a battlefield.

Arrangements for accommodation of more new street vendors have been made on the northern part of the temporary market which used to be a parking area.

However, since the arrangement could not provide seats to all the street vendors, a number of groups have sprang up creating chaos and havoc in the temporary market.

When Hueiyen Lanpao went to take a firsthand account of the whole incident, it was found that the whole problem had arisen as a number of new street vendors who were never seen in the temporary market earlier have emerged allegedly 'out of the pockets' of certain well known individuals.

The officials of IMC, who were also trying to arrange seats for the new street venders, could not solve the problem.

The officials of IMC informed Hueiyen Lanpao that the arrangement for seats of the new street vendors were made in the temporary market though there were no approval from the State Government on humanitarian ground.

The actual and old street vendors told Hueiyen Lanpao that according to the new seat arrangement made by IMC, those actual street vendors who were selling goods to earn their livelihood and could not provide Rs 5000 to the concerned individuals, have been left out and denied space in the temporary market.

In their place, those new street vendors who could afford to pay Rs 5000 have got seats, thus, resulting in the conflict arisen today.

Under the present arrangement made by IMC, the actual street vendors have been deprived of their place in the temporary market.

This is very unfortunate and we will not remain silent, the street vendors added.

In the present arrangement made by IMC, there are 2500 street venders.

But the number of actual street vendors hardly reaches 100 .

If the same situation prevails for long, the temporary market is likely to witness more battles among the street vendors in the days to come.

battlefield.

As such, the intervention of the State Government is highly needed.

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