SHILLONG: In a major relief for a select band of shopkeepers of Iewduh, the state government has given its nod to partially re-open Iewduh from June 22 on rotational basis with a string of conditions.
After dragging its feet for the past few weeks, the government decision came on the basis of report of a high-level inspection of the market conducted on Tuesday and clearance from KHADC and Syiem of Hima Mylliem.
Of the many conditions imposed for curtailing unrestricted throng in the market, the government has decided that the stalls dealing in fish, meat, vegetable, books and betel nuts would remain closed, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong announced.
He emphasised that the shops would have to adhere to SOPs and protocols, and any lapse might lead to penal action against them. There would be heightened police vigil in this regard. Apart from police personnel of Hima Mylliem and KHADC, a posse of state police is also expected to be pressed into duty.
Tynsong disclosed that in all 1,220 shops had been shortlisted for re-opening of which only 30 to 33 per cent would be allowed to re-open on a rotational basis every day. The identified shops are expected to be numbered for specifying which shop would open shutters on which particular day.
The government has also stated that as means to reduce over-crowing, hawkers would not be allowed to re-assemble inside the market as there are more than a thousand hawkers who throng Iewduh on a normal day.
The state government was under pressure from various quarters to reopen Iewduh since the livelihood of thousands of people have been affected as the market was closed since March this year and the Traders’ Association of Iewduh had even petitioned the chief minister to re-open the market partially.
In a related development, the government also decided to re-open all traditional weekly markets throughout the state from June 29.
However, border haats, and inter-state weekly market which are located just by the side of inter- state border would remain closed.
Tynsong said that the government has directed respective deputy commissioners to have consultation with all concerned stakeholders as far as reopening of weekly markets besides being asked to work out the modalities for re-opening of the weekly market.
