Street vendors protest
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, May 14 2011:
Street vendors today blocked the road behind Mapal Kangjeibung demanding seat allotments.
Later they were ousted from the area by a police team.
One street vendor told our reporter that their group strongly condemned the policy of the state government to use the temporary market shed as a parking lot contrary to the government's promise to give seats to them.
She said that they were provided seats at Lamphel where they could not sell enough items to cover their to and fro fares.
They spend ' 80 daily just to sell ' 50 worth of items.
Moreover vendors of Khwairamban Keithel found it difficult to get seats at Lamphel since vendors of the area had already occupied the sheds.
The state government is snatching the rights of the poor vendors to survival by denying them seats in the temporary market sheds, she said.
Meanwhile, a team of the Centre for Human Rights Duties and Education, MU today assessed whether the state government is violating any rights of the vendors.
The team consisting of Dr S Sureshkumar, Coordinator CHRDE, MU, Oinam Jitendra, Dr Rina Laitonjam and Dr Gaikhamsin Riyate visited street vendors at Lamphel and Khwairamban Keithel and assessed the situation.
The team will be submitting a report to the NHRC if the decision of the government violates the rights of the vendors.