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Manipur High Court orders IMC to rehabilitate evicted street vendors in Imphal

The Unemployed Youth Shopkeepers Association, Uripok filed a petition to re-locate/rehabilitate the evicted shopkeepers and street vendors at the vacant space of Lamphel Super Market Area.

ByIFP Bureau

Updated 22 Feb 2021, 1:58 am

Representational image (PHOTO: IFP)
Representational image (PHOTO: IFP)

A single bench of Justice Kh Nobin, High Court of Manipur directed Imphal Municipal Corporation (IMC) to consider the plea of street vendors, who were evicted during the President’s rule, for allotting shops or vending space within a month.

The Unemployed Youth Shopkeepers Association, Uripok filed a petition to re-locate/rehabilitate the evicted shopkeepers and street vendors at the vacant space of Lamphel Super Market Area or in the available vacant space or shops/stalls in Khwairamband Bazar area.

The petition stated that the association is a registered association and its members were occupying the strip of land on the Western edge of the Family Welfare Road, East of the Old District Hospital by carrying on small business for over 15 to 20 years.

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During President Rule, the State Government evicted them as encroachers causing hardship to the members of the petitioner association. The demand of the petitioner association was that its 56 members deserved redressal by allotting vending space or shops for earning their livelihood.

On May 23, 2013, the High Court had directed the commissioner of MAHUD, IMC Mayor to enquire whether the members of the petitioner association were entitled to claim the benefits of the scheme. If the members were found to be eligible for grant of benefits, they should be extended to them.

The IMC Mayor had issued an order on February 24, 2018, to the effect that the members of the petitioner the association would be considered for allotment of shops/stalls to continue with their business as and when vacancies are available in the future. Despite the order, no shops/ stalls have so far been allotted to the members of the petitioner association.

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Being aggrieved to the action, the association submitted a representation to Mayor of IMC on November 9, 2020, for allotment of shops /stalls which is still pending disposal. The petitioners are now jobless and the members of their families are facing untold miseries in these days of scarcity and in addition to that, due to Covid-19 pandemic, the members of the petitioner association have been put into indigent and pathetic conditions without any means of livelihood.

According to the petitioner association, there is enough space available at Khwairamband Bazar where the members of the petitioner association can be accommodated but the IMC has completely neglected the problems being faced by the members of the petitioner association.

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Tags:

Imphal Municipal Corporationstreet vendorsManipur hcevicted street vendors

IFP Bureau

IFP Bureau

IMPHAL, Manipur

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