Weekly markets only for local traders: AYWO

SHILLONG: The Achik Youth Welfare Organisation (AYWO) has said that it welcomes the state government’s decision to reopen weekly markets in rural areas if only local traders are allowed to operate in the same.
By doing so, the organisation feels that “the region can be protected from the deadly virus and, at the same time, will slowly but surely, not remain dependent solely on the veggies from Assam, which is allegedly non-organic”.
Despite the imposition of nationwide lockdown, Assam has been facing the brunt of COVID-19. More than 20 people have contracted the virus and the numbers are rising.
The AYWO said that one person from Salmara Region, adjacent to Phulbari region, has tested positive besides many in Goalpara district of Assam as well, which is the immediate district after North Garo Hills. In this regard, the organisation has asked the state government to check the inflow of hordes of petty and small traders from Assam entering from multiple entrances into Meghalaya.
“Majority of the vegetables comes from Mankachar/Singgimari (South Salmara district) and Krishnai (Goalpara district) and the supply of dry fish comes from Jagi Road, which is also a hotspot of COVID-19 in Assam. Therefore, AYWO feels that the opening up of weekly markets, without placing any mechanism to check the antecedents of every trader and to allow the outsiders to enter Meghalaya without medical check-up, will ruin all our efforts,” the AYWO said in a statement issued here.
The organisation asserted that it will not allow any outside traders to operate their business without any clearance from concerned authorities.
With regard to the resuming of construction works, the AYWO said that it will conduct random and frequent visits to the construction sites for making sure that the workers from outside the state are checked for COVID-19.