Newmai News Network
IMPHAL, March 11
A temporary market shed for the women vendors of Imphal’s iconic Mothers’ Market here was inaugurated by Manipur Works Minister Dr Kh Ratankumar Singh on Friday.
The market shed has been arranged by the Manipur government after over 2000 women vendors of Purana Bazar and Laxmi Bazar were displaced by the January 4 earthquake which damaged the buildings of the two markets.
The 150-year-old Ima market complex in Khwairamband Keithel located in the heart of Imphal city is run exclusively by women. The market complex was newly constructed and inaugurated by Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi in 2010.
The state government has been blamed by the women vendors for the ‘poor’ quality of construction of the market complex.Most vendors started selling their wares after the inauguration of the temporary market shed constructed behind Johnstone Higher Secondary School, Imphal. The market shed aims to make space for 2000 licensed vendors. On the occasion, the Works Minister said an expert team from the IIT Roorkee, the oldest technical institution in Asia, has provided the detailed assessment of the damaged all-women market to the National Disaster Management (NDM) which will determine whether to rebuild the market buildings or to repair them.
Ignoring a warning issued by the expert team of engineers that the market buildings were not safe, the women vendors reoccupied them and resumed their business after the Manipur government was unable to arrange a temporary market shed on time.
The minister expected that the under construction new market complex at the former Tombisana High School ground near the Old Assembly Building would be completed by May this year, which could solve the problem of shortage of market sites in the busy Imphal city. Social Welfare Minister AK Mirabai Devi appealed to the vendors to have patience with the government’s temporary arrangement if it cannot accommodate all of them saying all will be right soon regarding the two market buildings.
The function was attended among others by Imphal Municipal Corporation (IMC) Chairperson Aribam Nimai Sharma, PDA Chairman T Mangibabu and IMC executive officer Ng Uttam Singh.
