Several vendors at the Charity market are upset with the Charity/Urasara Neighbourhood Democratic Council’s (NDC) dismantling of their stalls.
One vendor took to the social media site, Facebook, to vent her concerns based on the claim that no notice was issued.
Wanica Topher said that vendors were very surprised to see the NDC officials along with the police, dismantling their stalls. They insist that at no time were any notices issued to remove and questioned the actions of the council.
“We are all PPP and I don’t know how they come bruk we thing and nah even inform we. This snackette when they have meetings, they does take food on credit and yet they doing them own people this,” Topher said.
She said that the vendors are toiling honestly and should be respected.
Another vendor stated that he too is upset and believes the NDC could have issued a notice or informed them about the dismantling exercise.
“We are all vending and doing an honest work. We are not doing anything illegal, we are all shock to see what is going on and we can’t say a word,” one vendor noted.
When this newspaper contacted the acting overseer for the NDC, Rameez Baksh, he stated that at no time was any stall broken but rather the extensions on the stalls were removed to facilitate a road project.
Baksh said that the council decided to clear the way for the project to commence in 2023 as it had been delayed for four years. He said that notices were issued in 2018 and 2019 and yet vendors continued to turn a deaf ear. He said that prior to the dismantling process, he and a government RDC councillor, Faraz Baksh, also went around and met with vendors. They explained to vendors the intention of the NDC to construct and enhance the Charity waterfront area.
“We can’t continue to live in ignorance, the project needs to be done and we from the council have to ensure that the structure and things in the way of the machinery are cleared. We talk to these stall owners over and over and still,” Baksh lamented.
He noted that the project has commenced and will transform the outlook of the Charity waterfront. The multi-million-dollar project will also address flooding in the Charity area. He therefore called on vendors to co-operate with the council to ensure that the project is completed. He also said that in the meantime, vendors can conduct their business in the tarmac area.
However, the vendors countered that they are not comfortable selling in the tarmac area since according to them, there are persons who are “smoking” and misbehaving and their livelihoods are threatened.
