Ima Keithel reopened, Biren announces exemption of one year vendor fee

Imphal: Women vendors of Manipur’s Ima Keithel (women market) would be exempted from vendor license fee for the year, chief minister N. Biren Singh declared at the reopening function of the market in Imphal on Monday.

The government took the decision of fee exemption considering the hardship faced by the women vendors during the Covid-19 pandemic as the markets remained closed for nearly a year, Biren said.

The market remained closed till date since March 21 last year as precautionary measures against Covid-19 pandemic.

Biren said the government had been successful in containing the spread of the contagion and saving the precious life of the people mainly due the contribution and responsible decision of women vendors to close the markets.

The pandemic had made humans learn a lesson about the importance of preserving the nature, he said and called for a change of our mindset and move towards a clean environment to prevent mankind from such other diseases in future. He urged the officials of MAHUD department to supply garbage bags to women vendors so that garbage and spoiled vegetables could be put to the same and collected for proper disposal. Such conduct would be helpful in maintaining cleanliness in and around the market places and prevent the women vendors from certain diseases, he said.

Biren asked the women vendors to allot a day to the government once in a month for maintenance and cleaning work of the market areas. He further added that construction work on roads along the markets would be completed soon. He appealed to the women vendors to bring up their grievances to the concerned authority before resorting to any strikes or rallies. Urging the street vendors not to sit on roads blocking the passage way while selling their products, he said the government would sort out a provision to accommodate them.

Appreciating the early initiative and concern shown by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the chief minister said various schemes had been taken up under the supervision of the Prime Minister during the countrywide lockdown to ease the adversities faced by the people. He also appreciated the ministers, MLAs, doctors and other frontline workers for their timely efforts and contributions made to contain the spread of the virus and save people’s lives.

“A Cancer hospital would be constructed in the state soon and an amount of Rs 10 crore had also been allocated in the budget as Chief Minister’s Cancer Relief Fund,” Biren said.

He announced the new names of the three Ima Market sheds as Leimarel Sidabi Ima Keithel for Market No. 1, Imoinu Ima Keithel for Market No. 2 and Phouoibi Ima Keithel for Market No. 3.

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