Immediate ban on male vendors at Ima Keithel; drive from April 15

IMPHAL, APRIL 14, 2018 (DIPR): Shri Thounaojam Shyamkumar today announced that immediate ban/prohibition has been imposed on male vendors selling goods in and around the Ima Keithel, Khwairamband Bazaar. He was addressing the media persons at his office chamber in New Secretariat office yesterday.

Minister of Municipal Administration, Housing and Urban Development (MAHUD) and Town Planning, Th. Shyamkumar said the male vendors can not sell their goods in the surroundings of the historic Ima Keithel mixing up with the women vendors, who have been traditionally selling the goods since ages. He cautioned that legal action will be taken under the Manipur Municipalities Act, 2004 if any male vendor is found selling goods at the Asia’s largest all-women’s market and advised them to remove their goods immediately.

MAHUD Minister also announced that his department will carry out drive starting from 15^th April, 2018 against shops, buildings and other commercial establishments within the purview of Imphal Municipal Corporation (IMC) violating department’s rules and regulations. He cautioned that the owners of shops and other commercial establishments will attract legal action in case they have not installed first aid fire extinguisher/fire fighting equipments and dustbins.

Th. Shyamkumar further announced that the drive will be also carried out against the buildings/other establishments which are under-construction and under-renovation in the market areas to check whether the works have been undertaken after the approval from the Town Planning and IMC. He also advised the illegal occupants to clear the passage between shops to avoid unnecessary action.

It may be mentioned that, in a series of separate notice issued by the IMC on 12^th February, 2018, it has been made mandatory for the shops and other commercial establishments to install first aid fire extinguisher/fire fighting equipment in order to minimise the loss of public properties and human lives during the sudden outbreak of fire under the Imphal Municipal Building Bye-Laws, 2013. IMC also made it mandatory under Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 for shops and other commercial establishments to install dustbins to segregate waste at source. It is also mandatory for all the shop owners to get their respective shops registered and licensed under the Imphal Municipal Corporation, Registration and Licensing of Shop Bye Laws, 1998.

Extending his greetings on the auspicious occasion of Sajibu Cheiraoba tomorrow to the people of the State, especially to the women vendors of the Khwairamband Bazaar, he advised the shop owners and women vendors to abide by the rules and regulations of the department. Advising the department officials to make maximum awareness regarding the matter to the citizens, Minister Shyamkumar further appealed to the general public to extend their cooperation to the department officials so that they can carry out department’s work smoothly.