Shops along Paona Bazaar stretch have been shut down since Wednesday afternoon, in protest against the state government’s order for shifting the parking space from the stretch for vehicles of shop owners, officials of financial institutions including residents of Paona Bazaar.
All the vehicles of shop owners, officials of financial institutions or any kind of establishments and residents of Paona Bazaar (transacting business or residing within the stretch from ‘Mahabir Pharmacy till the end of Paona International Market) are to park their respective vehicles at the ‘western road side, behind Johnstone Higher Secondary School’ from 5 am to 7 pm with immediate effect, as per an order issued by assistant municipal commissioner, Imphal Municipal Corporation Ksh Gyanendra Singh on Wednesday.
The order mentioned that all the shop owners, officials of financial institutions or any kind of establishments and residents are requested to submit the details of their vehicles and apply for allotment of their respective pass from the Imphal Municipal Corporation at the earliest.
A similar order was also issued on the same day for Thangal bazaar. It stated that vehicles for shop owners, officials of financial institutions and residents of Thangal bazaar within the stretch from Ima Keithel Number 1 to Khoyathong crossing should park their respective vehicles at the slab covered portion of Naga Nullah i.e. from Maharani Thong to Kasturi Thong and from Kasturi Thong to Public toilet near Kangjabi Leirak for four wheelers, and from SSS hotel to till the end of slab covered portion towards Khoyathong for two wheelers from 5 am to 7 pm.
They should submit details and apply for allotment of their respective vehicles pass from Imphal Municipal Corporation, it added.
In a follow up action, traffic police, Imphal West in collaboration with Imphal West district police conducted a drive along the stretches of Thangal Bazaar and Paona Bazaar since Tuesday.
Decrying the government order, shopkeepers of Paona Bazaar stretch have indefinitely shut down their respective shops since Wednesday.
While interacting with the Imphal Free Press, a shopkeeper expressed that it is a good step taken by the state government to ease traffic congestion along the Paona bazaar stretch. He also raised concerns about the reported misunderstandings and confusion about the newly introduced rules.
He said the police personnel told some of the shopkeepers that their customers can park vehicles in front of the respective shops for a maximum of five minutes while some other police personnel warned that no vehicles are allowed to park along the stretch, he added.
He appealed to the state government and authority concerned to allow the customers to park their vehicles for some time so that they can buy any item easily.
When the IFP interacted with a senior resident of Thangmeiband at Thangal bazaar, he said the government should have taken up this step years ago, though he appreciated the present government for taking up such steps.
Concerning the appeal by shopkeepers to allow customers to park their vehicles, he said that shopkeepers need not worry for the public or the customers. “We will walk towards the shops,” said the senior resident.
Another pedestrian told the IFP that “the demand is probably raised for the advantage of shopkeepers and shop owners.”
