Sections of Imphal City street women vendors unhappy to shed allocation

Imphal: A section of Imphal City women street vendors under the umbrella of Khwairamband Keithel Street Vendors’ Welfare Union expressed their displeasure in accommodation of market shed  at Temporary Market.

President of the street vendors welfare unuon , L. Beda Devi on Friday said president of Road Side Street Vendor, Ksh. Tama misled the people and government by expressing a false statement that street vendors are allowed to vend at Khwairamband Temporary market shed by consulting with government officials; SP, Imphal West; IMC officers and MAHUD commissioner.

She was talking to reporters at Manipur Press Club, Majorkhul, here.

Under what circumstances Tama, who is also Upa-Adakshya, Imphal East made her (Tama)statement that the street vendors are allowed to vend at Khwairamband Temporary market shed by consulting with government officials— superintendent of police, Imphal West; IMC officers and MAHUD commissioner, Beda asked.

She said the authorities concerned should clarify if they have given full authority to Tama for shed allocation to vendors at the temporary market shed.

Beda said the welfare union will praise chief minister N. Biren Singh and MAHUD minister Y. Khemchand when the order to vend authorised street vendors was fully implemented after proper screening.

She cautioned that criminal activities of assaulting to street vendors inside the Khwairamband Ima Keithel market area will be flashed.

There have been complaints from street vendors of not getting vending sheds at the temporary market. The state government has been preventing street vendors vending around the Khwairamband Ima Keithel in Imphal city. However, many are seen vending at streets around the Ima Keithel.

The government has also provided sheds to street vendors at Ima Keithel to vend at Lamphel Keithel. However. They denied saying that less people comes at that market place.

On October 21, women street vendors who vend at Khwairamband Ima Keithel streets had raised their voice to protect their right to life after Imphal Municipal Corporation (IMC) issued notice allowing them to vend at the Temporary Market in two different shifts.

Khwairamband Keithel Street Vendors’ Welfare Union alleged that vendors under it were restricted from vending at the Temporary Market by the police and two vendors associations. It demanded justice to state leaders and drew the attention of civil society organisations to protect their livelihood.

They had complained that they were chased out using violence means by the police and vendors under two associations when they try to vend at the Temporary Market as per the notification issued by the IMC on October 16.