Vendors selling second-hand clothes at Khasi Market in Garikhana on Thursday alleged that they were treated with disrespect by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) during a meeting over the construction of the new market at Jaiaw Stand, Motphran.
Speaking to reporters, General Secretary of the Synjuk Ki Nongdie Jaiñ Khasi Market, Larisuk Rani, accompanied by S. Nongbet, said the association met SMB CEO P.K. Boro, MCS, on June 9 to request the inclusion of adequate access routes and emergency exits in the under-construction market building.
According to Rani, the vendors stressed the need for proper emergency exits to ensure the safety of traders in the event of emergencies, particularly earthquakes. However, she alleged that the CEO dismissed their concerns, stating that there is “no safety in this world” and that they should not speak about safety issues.
She further alleged that the CEO treated the women vendors with contempt, claiming they were looked down upon because they were mostly elderly women. Rani also alleged that the CEO directed the association to approach the Smart City authorities instead. The vendors, however, maintained that they had approached the Municipal Board because it was the agency that had initially relocated them from their original marketplace.
The association said it has now sought the intervention of Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma by submitting a written representation, adding that its members no longer wish to engage with the CEO, whom they accused of making light of their concerns despite repeated appeals since the construction of the parking and market project began.
The vendors also pointed out that, under the relocation agreement, they were to be shifted to the Garikhana site for only 10 months. However, more than three years have passed and the new market has yet to be completed, adversely affecting their livelihoods and daily earnings.
The allegations made by the vendors could not be independently verified, and there was no immediate response from the Shillong Municipal Board CEO at the time of filing this report.
