Imphal: The Manipur government on Friday said no male vendor would be allowed to sell goods in and around the Ima Keithel, Khwairamband Bazaar, the unique women's market in the heart of Imphal.
Speaking to mediapersons here, minister for municipal administration, housing and urban development and town planning Thounaojam Shyamkumar said male vendors cannot sell goods in the surroundings of the historic Ima Keithel where women have been selling goods since ages.
He cautioned that legal action would be taken under the Manipur Municipalities Act, 2004, if any male vendor is found selling goods at Asia's largest all-women's market and advised them to remove their goods immediately.
He said his department would carry out a drive from April 15 against shops, buildings and other commercial establishments within the purview of Imphal Municipal Corporation (IMC) violating the department's rules and regulations. He said owners of shops and other commercial establishments would attract legal action if they do not installed first aid fire-fighting equipment and dustbins.
The drive will also be carried out against buildings which are under-construction and under-renovation in the market areas to check whether the works have been undertaken after approval from the town planning and IMC. He advised illegal occupants to clear the passage between shops to avoid action.
In a series of notices issued on Thursday, the IMC made it mandatory for shops and other commercial establishments to install first aid fire fighting equipment under the Imphal Municipal Building Bylaws 2013 to minimise loss of public property and human lives during sudden any outbreak of fire.
The IMC also made it mandatory under Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, for shops and other commercial establishments to install dustbins to segregate waste at source.
It is also mandatory for all shopowners to get their respective shops registered and licensed under the Imphal Municipal Corporation Registration and Licensing of Shop Bylaws 1998.