Proposal of Mao market at Lamphel meets stiff oppositions

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL | Nov 28

Lamphel Super Market Development Joint Committee, a committee of vendors at Lamphel market voiced their strong opposition against the recent announcement made by chief minister N. Biren Singh to construct a separate market at Lamphel for the Mao community.

A handful of the agitating women vendors today marched towards the chief minister’s bungalow this morning but police stopped them from further proceeding near Nupi Lal Memorial Complex.

Later selected representatives of the market committee were allowed to table their memorandum to the chief minister’s office.

The memorandum strongly condemned the chief minister’s decision to construct separate Mao Market at Lamphel Super Market in Imphal West.

It said the development joint committee would appreciate if the government takes up step to construct market for every community besides appealing to construct temporary market during the construction of markets of all communities.

It is learnt that about a total of 800 vegetable vendors and business runners are running the Lamphel market under the sky. The development committee has been reportedly urging the government to construct a new market complex in tandem with the planned Mao Market at Lamphel.

The memorandum also urged the chief minister to provide license and necessary documents to the vendors at Lamphel.

The vegetables vendors from Mao come to Nagamapal on Tuesdays and Fridays after their market was shifted earlier following Southern Angamis of Nagaland launched a blockade against their community on June 23, 2015. The Southern Angamis of Nagaland imposed the blockade after the Mao opposed the construction of a road by Nagaland in the Manipur portion of Dzukou Valley along the Manipur-Nagaland border.

Due to traffic congestion at Nagamapal the Mao vendors shifted their market at Lamphel Supermarket and Tera Keithel. Some of them are still selling vegetables and fruits at Nagamapal.

The chief minister made the announcement to construct Mao Market at Lamphel market area at the cost of Rs 1-2 crore soon, at the inaugural function of the 3rd Flower Festival cum Manipur 1st Cherry Blossom Festival held at Kayinu Village, Mao Gate, Senapati on Saturday.