Imphal, November 01: Women vendors of Khwairamband Bazar continued with their agitation against the delay in completion of the three market sheds of the Bazar for the second consecutive day today prompting the police to fire tear gas canisters and lathi-charge in a bid to disperse them.

Normal business transaction of the market also remained affected for the second day today.

At around noon, the agitating women vendors tried to remove the fences of corrugated tin-sheets being put up around the work site of the three markets and dismantled the makeshift shops made from bamboo splits and plastic sheets set up along the said fences.

Soon a police team arrived and fired tear gas canisters apart from lathi-charging to disperse the agitating women vendors.

A couple of agitating womenfolk reportedly sustained injuries in the incident.


Women confront cops against the non completion of keithel

Later on, the agitating women vendors came to the temporary market sheds and called out the other women vendors who were selling their wares to wrap up for the day and return home.

From there all of them took out a rally and proceeded toward the Chief Minister's Bungalow to meet the Chief Minister.

However, they stopped on the way by the police.

Later in the evening, some of the women representatives were allowed to go and meet the Chief Minister to present their case.

However, what transpired during the meeting, could not be confirmed till the filing of this report.

Earlier talking to mediapersons, the agitating women vendors complained that the main market area of the Khwairamband Bazar has been being kept sealed with corrugated tin-sheets for the last two years with the promise of finishing the construction of the three market sheds of Khwairamband Nupi Keithel within first week of October this year.

But the Government has not kept its promise despite the fact that October is over, they said.

Apart from having stalled the construction work on other market sheds, the work on Purana Bazar is yet to commence till date, they informed.

The women vendors began their agitation yesterday, as PDA chairman failed to turn up despite having waited for long.

The agitating womenfolk took this to their hearts as sign of apathetic attitude of the Govt toward their plights.

The agitating women vendors demanded that the Govt to announce a definite period during which the construction work of the markets would be completed.

They have also warned of intensifying their stir if the Govt fails to do so.

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